


Dulaque's School for Troubled Children

by hamelott



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Ratings subject to change, but the others' stories get told too, main focus is on jake, other characters from the series will also be included, probably?, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 39,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9842900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamelott/pseuds/hamelott
Summary: When Jacob stepped foot into Dulaque's, he never expected his world to do a complete turn around and change forever.





	1. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob begins his first day in Dulaque's School for Troubled Children and meets some of the aforementioned children along the way.

Jacob Stone sat grumpily in the passenger side of his mom’s pickup truck. Outside, the large buildings of New York City loomed above him. He didn’t notice his mom glance at him and try to give him a smile. “Never get used to those things, huh sweetheart? After Oklahoma, this place seems too tall, huh Jake?”

Jacob sighed, his chin resting on his arm and his forehead leaned against the cool glass of the window. New York was cold in November. “Yeah, Mom.”

Jacob heard his mom sigh. “I know this isn’t ideal, Jake, but it’s the best we can make of the situation.”

“I know,” Jacob said, his voice tight.

He heard his mom sigh again, but it was sharper this time. “You know, Jake, we would not be here if it weren’t for you. You shouldn’t have gotten into so many fights back in Okie. You need to own up to what you did. If you had told the ministration the truth, we might still be there.”

Jacob didn’t answer, but anger began to course through him. He knew it was his fault, and his family constantly reminded him about it. And of course Oklahoma had kicked him out, and they had been forced to go to New York by the school board’s recommendation. They said Jacob was a hazard and that ‘Dulaque’s School for Troubled Children’ would be the best transfer for him. It was a school that closely monitored their students, but also let them run amuck of the place. Jacob had researched the school. As of the beginning of the year, the firefighters had been called ten times, police five, and an ambulance three.

It was probably needless to say, but Jacob was not looking forward to it. Especially mid first semester.

Finally, the pickup truck rolled into the parking lot of an elegant looking building. Jacob couldn’t help his mouth popping open in awe as his mom parked in a visitor’s space.

Daisy Stone glanced over at her son and felt sadness envelope her. Her son was a smart boy, and he was fascinated by the craziest things, but he was no fighter. He’d defend himself, but he’d never take the first swing. It was wrong of her to constantly accuse him. She and the rest of their family were stressed, but it was not right. Jacob was the odd one out, but he was still her boy and her youngest. She reached over and squeezed his shoulder. An ache settled more inside of her as Jacob’s smile instantly vanished as he glanced over at her. He shrugged and got out of the truck.

Jacob led the way inside the school, skirting around other kids. His mom was right on his heels as he read a sign and turned a corner that apparently led to the principal’s office. 

Jacob eventually stumbled up to two large, glass doors. The words, Principal Dulaque were written in golden calligraphy across them, and Jacob pushed inside. 

A pretty young woman was sitting at a large desk. She surveyed Jacob for a second before directing her gaze at his mom. The woman’s face pulled into a cringe-worthy fake smile. “Hello,” she said in a lilted voice, “I’m Ms. Fay. Who are you?”

Daisy pushed past her son and walked up to the desk. “I’m Daisy Stone and this is my son, Jake. He’s supposed to be joining the school today.”

Recognition flashed across Ms. Fay’s face. She nodded, the fake smile still in place. “Right, the child from Oklahoma?” Daisy nodded, and Ms. Fay waved in the direction of a gleaming oak door. “Mr. Dulaque will be glad to finally meet you, Mr. Stone.”

“Thanks,” Jacob said and took the lead again. His mother thanked Ms. Fay a second time and followed her son. Jacob knocked twice before he walked in.

An older man was sitting behind a desk, watching the outside through a large window in the back wall. He had thinning hair, and he was as thin as a twig. When he turned to face the Stones, his mouth was pulled into a thin smile. He gestured to the chairs in front of him. “Ah, Mrs. Stone, Mr. Stone please take a seat.”

Jacob walked to one of the two leather seats and sat down, grimacing as the chair crackled beneath him. It was obvious Principal Dulaque didn’t get a lot of visitors. 

Daisy stuck out her hand, a warm smile on her face. “Good morning, Mr. Dulaque.”

Mr. Dulaque shook Daisy’s hand but looked like he would have rather not. He nodded to them curtly. “Hello. I assume you have the papers for Mr. Stone here?”

Daisy nodded and pulled the paperwork out of her bag. She handed them over, and Mr. Dulaque examined them. His thin eyebrow rose as he looked sharply up at Jacob over the papers. “You are a junior?”

Jacob shrugged. “Yeah.”

Mr. Dulaque scowled. “You are too young. You are only sixteen, and your birthday was only last month. Juniors are sixteen and seventeen and born in the years before you were.”

Jacob shrugged again. “I’m smart. I got moved up a grade. Would’ve done more so, but Mom didn’t want me to.”

Mr. Dulaque nodded slowly, looked like he wanted to say something more, but went back to the paperwork. After a few moments, he replaced the papers back on the desk. He smiled thinly at Daisy again. “Well, Mrs. Stone, everything seems to be in order here. I just ask you to sign these few papers, and you will be allowed to be on your way.”

Daisy smiled and took the papers Mr. Dulaque handed to her. She signed them swiftly and handed them back over. “Thank you, Mr. Dulaque. I’ve gotta get to work. New job, don’t want to leave a bad impression.”

“Indeed,” Mr. Dulaque replied, sorting through the paperwork and seeming like he hadn’t even listened to her. Jacob scowled at him, but his attention was pulled away as his mom leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

“Have a good day, Jake. Be good, sweetheart.” Jacob couldn’t help but feeling that his mom was abandoning him in the middle of a battlefield as she left the office. With a sigh, he turned back to face Mr. Dulaque. The principal was watching him with a calculating look. Jacob looked back challengingly.

Eventually, it was Mr. Dulaque who broke the staring contest. He cleared his throat and stood up. He walked over to an ancient looking printer and pulled off a sheet of paper. He handed it to Jacob, and it was still warm. Jacob frowned at it until he realized it was his new schedule. 

He had seven classes in total. His day started with double science classes, an English history class, then a break for lunch, a math class, a French class despite the fact he spoke fluently in the language, a physical education class, and, lastly, an art history class. 

Jacob studied the schedule for a few more seconds before looking back up at Mr. Dulaque. The principal had gone back to studying him again but when he noticed Jacob’s attention was on him again, he travelled back behind his desk and took a seat.

“I hope those classes are to your liking, Mr. Stone,” Mr. Dulaque commented dryly.

Jacob shrugged. “They’re fine. Thanks, I suppose.”

Mr. Dulaque nodded. “I would like you to go out and talk to Ms. Fay, please. We have arranged for something to help you become more familiar with our school. She will inform you more on the details.”

Jacob stood up, but after five steps, he suddenly twirled around again. “Can I ask a question?”

“Depends,” Mr. Dulaque said, sounding resigned, “is it stupid?”

“I dunno.” Jacob shrugged. He plowed on anyhow. “Why does this school look so perfect on the outside, but in reality it’s actually a hellhole in here?”

Mr. Dulaque smiled, and it almost seemed genuine. “You’ve done your research.”

It was the only answer Jacob got, and he sighed before turning around again. Though, as he was walking out the door, he heard, “Good luck, Jacob Stone. You shall need it.”

Jacob walked over to Ms. Fay’s desk where a shorter Asian boy was standing, looking bored. Jacob ignored him and smiled ironically at Ms. Fay who returned her fake smile. “Hello, Ms. Fay, Mr. Dulaque said you had something that was to help me?”

“Not something, somewho, mate,” the Asian boy said. He suddenly frowned. “Or, someone, I guess is the correct term. Whatever.”

Jacob was slightly surprised to learn the kid had a thick Australian accent but didn’t comment. Instead he frowned at Ms. Fay in confusion. Ms. Fay sighed tightly. “Mr. Jones here has all the same classes as you. He is going to show you around the school and teach you our rules.”

Jacob glanced at the kid, ‘Mr. Jones,’ and couldn’t help a grimace. He sighed and rolled his eyes slightly. “Lead the way, kid.”

“Oi, not a kid,” Mr. Jones snapped but began walking out of the office. Jacob followed him but stopped at Ms. Fay’s voice.

“Careful of him, Mr. Stone. Sticky fingers.”

Jacob glanced over his shoulder at her, but she appeared to not have even talked. He sighed and followed Mr. Jones out into the hallway.  
~~~  
“Let’s set things straight, Stone,” Mr. Jones said loudly, pushing through the hoard of students they had confronted as soon as they stepped into the hallways. “I’m not your friend, I don’t like you, and I don’t even want to be doing this. But it’s this or they send me off to summer school. Got it, hick?”

“Got it,” Jacob answered, irritated. “Where the hell are all the lockers?”

Mr. Jones snorted. “Lockers? Nah, mate, they don’t trust us with those. All school supplies are to be held on your person at all times, and even then you might not end up with it by the end of the day.” This sentence was coupled with a sneaky grin Mr. Jones threw over his shoulder at Jacob. “As for textbooks and what not, the teachers hold on to those. If any kid got hold of one of those for long enough, it’d probably end up on fire or made into a joint. Which,” Mr. Jones shrugged, “I guess is about the same thing.”

Jacob suddenly got elbowed in the gut and snarled at the guy who hit him. The kid was taller than him by a long shot. He had messy, spiky hair and merely rolled his eyes at Jacob before he continued to walk on.

Jacob breathed in angrily and turned to continue to follow Jones but was shocked to find him not there. Inwardly, Jacob cursed and began to push in the direction he had last seen Jones walking.

Eventually, Jacob reached a split end and panic started to course through him. He wasn’t exactly excited about this new school, but he knew being late to his first class on his first day would surely not leave a good impression on anyone that actually mattered. 

“Hey, are you okay there?” Jacob reeled around and was startled to find a pretty girl staring curiously at him with big blue eyes, her head tilted to the side a bit.

“Um,” Jacob looked around again, trying to catch a glimpse of Jones. Eventually, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and looked back at the girl. “A bit lost, if I’m being completely honest.”

The girl bit on her lips nervously. “First day? I could point you in the right direction if you want?”

Jacob nodded, relieved. “That’d be great.”

She nodded at him, and Jacob pulled out his schedule and handed it to her. They were in the middle of the hall, but the other kids seemed to have no qualm about pushing them back and forth to get through. The girl’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she smiled sweetly at Jacob. “Actually, we’re going to the same class. C’mon, just follow me.”

As Jacob followed the girl as she made a right, he couldn’t help but wonder what she had done to be placed in this pit. Kids were only sent to Dulaque’s if they were considered ‘a destruction to school’ and ‘can only be corrected through discipline and punishment.’ You kind of had to do something pretty noteworthy to be sent to the school.

Eventually, the girl pulled him into a classroom, and Jacob was hit with a rank scent. He made a face as the girl scrunched up her nose. She glanced at him and laughed lightly at his grimace. “That’d be the frogs. Freshman dissect them.”

“I see,” Jacob said. “I’m Jacob by the way.”

The girl smiled as she led him to an almost empty lab table. Jacob scowled as he noticed Jones sitting there, looking perfectly content. “I’m Cassandra, and this is Ezekiel.”

Jacob glared at Jones – Ezekiel – as he grinned meekly and waved at Jacob. “We’ve met.”

Cassandra’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion until realization crossed her face. She frowned tightly and slapped Ezekiel on the arm. “You know being his guide is important for you, Jones. It’s either this or summer school, and we both know you despise that.”

Ezekiel rolled his eyes, but he shrugged at Jacob. “Sorry, mate. Glad Cassie found you though. I might’ve actually felt a bit bad if you wound up wandering around the school all day.”

Cassandra hit Ezekiel on the arm again, and he sighed exaggeratingly. “Fine, fine, I probably would’ve gone looking for you during lunch.” He suddenly frowned. “On second thought, maybe not. Today is Sloppy Joe day, and I’m not myself if I don’t have at least three of those.”

Cassandra sighed but quickly realized it was probably a losing battle. She shook her head, pulling a notebook out of her bag as she said, “By the way, give Jacob back his wallet, Ezekiel.”

Jacob’s eyes widened as he patted around his pockets as Ezekiel shrugged. “No idea what you’re talking about, Cass.”

Cassandra suddenly darted a hand into his jacket pocket and pulled back with Jacob’s wallet in her hands. Kindly, she handed it over to him, and Ezekiel was hit by her again on the back of the head. “Ow, okay, okay, don’t get your fannies in a twist. Sorry, hick.”

Cassandra frowned at him but turned a small smile onto Jacob. “Sorry about him but don’t worry, I got your back. I always know when he takes what he shouldn’t.”

“R-right,” Jacob said, nodding. “Thanks.”

Jacob grinned at her, and she smiled back, eventually pulling her attention away as the teacher stepped into the classroom, already starting his lecture in a monotone voice. Maybe this school wouldn’t be as horrible as he predicted; Cassandra certainly seemed to be nice. Maybe there were other kids like her. 

Ezekiel shot a spit ball at him.

Jacob scowled. Or maybe it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I'm starting a new fic! So I've been thinking/writing DSTC for a little over six months now...maybe? Who knows?? But it's an idea that I really love and that I've never quite seem to give up on, so here it is for the whole world to see.
> 
> If you wouldn't mind, let me know what you think? Do you wanna see it continued? It'll mean the world to me if you let me know :)


	2. Our Crimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob makes more friends than he ever has in his entire life and meets the people who are bound to become his cliche arch-enemies.

Jacob did indeed have all his classes (or at least his morning classes) with Ezekiel, and, surprisingly, he didn’t abandon him in the hallways again. Cassandra was in different classes, so it wasn’t until lunch before the three could meet up again.

Ezekiel, with three Sloppy Joes on his tray, led Jacob to a back corner table that was empty. Jacob, who had opted for a simple ham and cheese melt, sat down next to him despite Ezekiel’s annoyed eye roll.

A few minutes later, the two looked up as Cassandra joined them, sitting down across from Ezekiel. Her tray had a Sloppy Joe on it, but she cut it cleanly in half and gave one half to Ezekiel who laughed excitedly. She grinned at Jacob. “So, how’s your first day going so far? Ready to go back to wherever you’re from?”

Jacob shrugged. “Fine, I guess. And Oklahoma wouldn’t take me back.”

“Oh yeah,” Cassandra said, “I forgot to ask. What made you come here?”

Jacob shrugged again, but his shoulders slumped, and he directed his eyes on the table in front of him. “Got into some trouble.”

“No shit,” Ezekiel snorted. “That’s sorta the whole point. We mean, what did you do that got you into trouble?”

Cassandra seemed to pick up Jacob’s discomfort and said, “You don’t have to tell us. We totally get it. We were drowned in embarrassed too, our first week.”

Ezekiel snorted again. “You were embarrassed. I was offended that they thought this was the best school for me.”

“You’re a hazard, Jones.” Jacob looked up to see a blonde girl sitting down next to Cassandra. To his surprise, the boy who had elbowed him in the hallway sat down next to her. He frowned at Jacob, obviously recognizing him.

“You’re sweet,” Ezekiel said sarcastically. 

“Who’re you?” the messy-haired boy said. “I recognize you.”

“Um,” Jacob cleared his throat, “I’m Jacob Stone. I’m sorta new here.”

Recognition flashed through the boy’s eyes. “Oh, right, you were the kid that snarled at me today in the hall.”

Ezekiel snorted in surprise and quickly covered his mouth. He was shaking slightly with laughter as he looked over at Jacob. “You snarled at him?”

“He elbowed me,” Jacob said defensively. This was apparently funny because Ezekiel began to laugh harder, his eyes closing.

The blonde rolled her eyes, looking at Jacob. “Ignore him. I’m Eve Baird. How new are you?”

“Uh, got in New York yesterday. Started school today,” Jacob said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m from Oklahoma.”

“Interesting,” the boy-whose-name-Jacob-didn’t-know-yet said, “is there no correctional facility closer than New York?”

Jacob shrugged at him. “I dunno. But this is what the court ordered, literally.”

“You murdered someone!” Ezekiel suddenly shouted, sounding elated. “That’s awesome. Haven’t had a murderer in Dulaque’s in a while.”

Jacob scowled. “I didn’t murder anyone.”

Ezekiel pouted. The boy with messy hair suddenly cleared his throat. “Well, I’m Flynn Carsen. I’m a senior. What grade are you in? A freshman?”

Jacob scowled. He knew he was short, but not that short. Cassandra came to his rescue. “Jacob’s a junior, Flynn.” With a tiny grin, she added, “They’re just short in Oklahoma.”

“I’m not short,” Jacob retorted, glowering. 

Ezekiel laughed some more. “Okay, Stone. Keep telling yourself that.”

“Place nice,” Eve butted in. She frowned at Jacob though. “But, to be perfectly honest, you do seem a bit young to be a junior.”

Jacob shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich. “I was bumped up a grade when I was little. I could’ve been bumped up a few more and already been graduated, but my mom said it wouldn’t be a good idea. It’d be bragging to my brother that I was smarter than him.”

Cassandra frowned. “That’s not fair.”

Jacob shook his head. “Nah, it was fine. Just means I was placed here though. Wouldn’t have happened if I was in college.”

“Arson!” Ezekiel suddenly shouted again. “Did you burn a building down?”

Jacob glared at him again. “I’m not an arsonist, Jones. And what do you care? Would you tell me what you did if I asked you?”

Ezekiel shrugged. “I stole, a lot. Text books, chairs, and once even the principal’s car. But they say the school statue was the final straw.”

Jacob knew he was gaping, but he couldn’t help it. Cassandra giggled at him. “Ezekiel likes to call himself a con artist, but all the courts like to call him juvenile delinquent.”

Ezekiel smirked at Jacob. “Your turn, mate. I told you mine, you tell me yours. I think that was the deal.”

Jacob frowned. “I didn’t agree to any deal, Jones.”

“Zeke,” Eve said, her tone warning him, “if Jacob isn’t ready to tell anyone, he doesn’t have to. Lay off, got it?”

Ezekiel rolled his eyes, but instead of saying anything, he just stuffed his mouth with more Sloppy Joe. Flynn glanced at Jacob and seemed to take pity on him a little bit. “Well, I’m not some master thief like Ezekiel, but I can definitely tell you our tickets in here are similar. I liked to ‘borrow’ stuff. Mostly materials around the school to build some awesome stuff for at-home projects because my dad was crap about getting me actual materials. It was small stuff, like pipe cleaners or markers, but then I wanted to borrow a car and then I accidently wrecked it, so that’s why I’m here. Though, really, it wasn’t my fault that guy pulled out in front of me. If it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be here now. It’s totally that guy’s fault.”

Eve rolled her eyes. “You ran a red light, Flynn.”

“Still,” Flynn retorted, “he totally saw me coming. He should’ve slammed his brakes or something.”

“Or you could’ve not stolen a car,” Cassandra murmured but just loud enough for everyone to hear. Flynn sulked, and Eve laughed at him. Cassandra looked at Jacob. “I actually didn’t break any laws to get in here.”

“Yeah,” Ezekiel said, sounding annoyed, “she’s the perfect angel.”

“I didn’t break any laws either,” Eve said indignantly. “Does that make me an angel?”

Ezekiel snorted. “If you’re an angel, then I’m a saint.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes at him but turned back to Jacob. “Anyways, like I was saying, I didn’t break any laws. My parents just put me here.”

“What?!” Jacob blurted, his eyes wide.

Cassandra shrugged, as if she was used to this reaction. “I have this thing called synesthesia and a tumor in my brain. My parents basically told me I had gone ‘wacko,’ and they signed me up here.” She shrugged again. “It’s not too miserable after the first couple of days, and the academics are a breeze.”

“Huh,” Jacob murmured, nodding. Slowly he glanced at Eve.

She chuckled but said, “I’m afraid there’s not much to tell. My dad’s a retired military man, and he wanted to put me in a school that he knew would test my limits. So here I am.”

“Oh,” Jacob muttered. He took a deep breath. “I got in a lotta fights at my old school. Kids really liked to pick on me back in Oklahoma. They’d say I was too smart for my own good, and they wanted to take me down a peg. Hence a lot of fighting. I fought back and unfortunately I’m a lot tougher than I look. The fights kept gettin’ worse, and I’d always be the one to blame. In the end it resulted in a kid getting knocked out for a couple days, and I went to court. My family didn’t, um, back me up, and…here I am.”

“Wait, your family condemned you?” Eve asked, her voice lilted with anger. “Why didn’t they speak up for you?”

“I dunno,” Jacob lied. “I think it’s because they didn’t have any real proof that I wasn’t starting the fights.”

“That’s messed up,” Cassandra murmured. “And that’s coming from a girl whose parents call her freak.”

Jacob winced. “They’re really not that bad.” And there he went again with the lying. Maybe the court was right about one thing; he was a compulsive liar. 

“I don’t know,” Flynn said shaking his head. “Even my dad wouldn’t sell me out, y’know?”

“Yeah, well…” Jacob murmured, squirming uncomfortably. 

Eve, quick and observant, realized Jacob was swiftly getting upset. She said, “Well, Flynn, you live with your grandparents. Your dad doesn’t have much of a chance on selling you out any more.”

Flynn frowned but quickly saw the logic in that, nodding. “Yeah, I guess.” He opened his mouth to say something more when the bell rang overhead. He sighed, collecting his empty tray. “Well, when the bell tolls.”

“C’mon,” Eve said, getting to her feet, “James said he wanted to ask me a question about the math homework.” 

Flynn’s face twisted as they walked away. “I hate that guy.”

Jacob glanced at Ezekiel who was sadly looking down at his plate. “I didn’t get to finish my Sloppy Joes.”

“C’mon, Ezekiel,” Cassandra said, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. “You two have to get to math.” She grinned wildly at Jacob. “You’re just going to love it! Ms. Faire is the best math teacher ever! She’s a little eccentric, and she’ll probably tell you to call her Ariel, but she’s just the absolute best!” She sighed. “I really do miss that class.”

Ezekiel snorted, beginning to lead the way to the tray wash-up station. “Only you’d miss pre-calc, Cassandra.”

She smiled. “Of course! Pre-calc was the best! But I think I love calculus even more!”

Ezekiel rolled his eyes. “God, what a nerd.”

Cassandra laughed, punching him on the side. “Crook.”

Jacob watched them, feeling utterly alone. He hadn’t even had this type of friendship back in Oklahoma. What did one do to get people to even like you enough to even consider wanting this type of friendship with you? He wish he knew.

Cassandra glanced back at him to where he’d lagged behind. She turned her bright smile onto him and said, “C’mon Jacob! After pre-calc, I’ll get to see you in French! You can see how badly Ezekiel butchers is.”

Ezekiel squawked in indignation. “Excuse you, I have much better things to do than learn some silly language of some silly country that I’m never going to go to!”

“Like what?” Jacob said, a little quiet and a little unsure. “Steal a school statue?”

Ezekiel barked out a laugh, and Cassandra giggled loudly. Jacob grinned. Ezekiel glanced at him. “Alright, that wasn’t half bad, hick. I’m impressed.”

“Just callin’ it like I see it,” he said. Ezekiel rolled his eyes, called him a stereotypical ‘cowboy’ nickname, and Cassandra elbowed him, telling him to knock it off. For the first time that day, Jacob found himself relaxing and giving off a genuine laugh.  
~~~  
By the end of the day, Jacob was exhausted but hopeful. In French, Cassandra had made him laugh with her horrible pronunciations, and he’d wowed her, Ezekiel, and even the teacher with how fluently he was able to roll the language off his tongue. His art history class had been amazing, and he couldn’t wait to see what else the teacher had in store for the class. He had seemed to like Jacob quite a bit, and that made him happy.

Jacob and Ezekiel were standing in the front of the gorgeous building next to the flagpole. Ezekiel had a junky-looking phone in his hand, tongue poking out the side of his mouth in full concentration as he typed on it swiftly.

Cassandra, big smile on her face, walked over to them. “Hi! How was your official first day of school, Jacob?”

Jacob shrugged, giving her a tiny grin in return. “It was okay. I really loved my art history class.”

Next to him, with his nose still in his phone, Ezekiel snorted. “Yeah, Mr. Ray was practically drooling over Jacob. Acting like he’d never met an intellectual kid in his entire life. It was pathetic.”

“Well,” Cassandra said, a small twinkle in her eyes, “he does share the class with you, Ezekiel. Not too high of standards he has to live up to.”

That made Ezekiel raise his head, offended look on his face. “Oi! Watch it, smart girl. Next thing you know, I’ll be sticking Mr. King’s iguana in your pocket. I’ll do it so stealthily, you’ll never even notice until it’s crawling down your leg.”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at him, clearly unimpressed. She opened her mouth to say something more when a car honked in the drive. Jacob glanced around her to see a gray Suburban with an impatient looking woman in the driver’s seat. Next to him, Cassandra sighed. 

“That’s my mom.” She turned back to Jacob and Ezekiel with a rueful grin. “I gotta go. It was really nice meeting you, Jacob!” And, surprising him, she pulled him into a quick yet tight hug. “And don’t get into too much trouble, Zeke.” And she pulled him into a quick hug too, and Jacob was even more surprised when Ezekiel slung a limp yet clearly meaningful arm back over her. “See you guys tomorrow!”

She ran off towards the car where her mom was already blaring the horn again. Jacob frowned. “She doesn’t seem too nice.”

Ezekiel snorted. “Understatement of the year, mate.” He glanced up, eyebrow raised. “You got a ride or something? Don’t expect me to walk you home too, after everything I’ve done for you today.”

Jacob rolled his eyes. “I know how to get home but thanks, Jones.”

Ezekiel huffed and started to walk away, eyes zeroed in on his phone again. “Whatever. Don’t die or something.”

Jacob shook his head and watched him go until he disappeared into the crowd of children either waiting for parents as Dulaque’s had a strict ‘no student drivers’ rule or beginning to walk home on their own. Jacob stuck his thumbs in the pocket of his jeans and began to walk away in the opposite direction Ezekiel had wandered off in.  
~~~  
It only took Jacob twenty minutes to get himself totally and utterly lost. He was searching around the nearby buildings for any that he recognized since his brief stay in New York, but none of them rang a bell. None of them even looked like apartment complexes which is probably what worried him the most. 

Jacob was glancing into a dark alleyway when he heard footsteps coming up behind him. He didn’t think anything of it as there were tons of footsteps all around him until he heard, “Hey, new kid! The one with the dumb boots!”

Jacob stopped, glanced down at his work boots, and then turned around to find three teenagers waltzing his way.

One, the obvious ringleader of the pack, had a knobby stick in his hand that he was letting drag roughly against the ground. He had dark, curly hair that sat in a mass atop his head. His footsteps were quick and light, his head bowed towards Jacob in what could only be determination. 

The boy next to him was about a head taller than him. He was dressed nicely and even had wingtips on his feet instead of regular tennis shoes. He had short, dark hair and a tight frown on his face.

The last teenager was a girl. She had short, brown hair and brown skin. The way she walked nearly commanded power, and she had a dangerous smile on her red lips. 

As they quickly reached him, the girl stepped forward, grabbed Jacob by the lapel of his shirt, and gripped hard, throwing him into the alleyway and onto a brick wall. She held him there, her eyes dancing with amusement. Her lips twitched in a smirk as she said, “Hey, cowboy. You know, you’re pretty cute close up.”

“Get offa me,” Jacob growled. He pushed past her and tried to dart away, but the tall boy’s arms quickly wrapped around him and threw him back against the wall. He winced, pain flaring across his shoulders.

The tall boy’s frown curved into a small smirk. In an English accent, he said, “Now, now. There’s no need to run. We just want to talk with you.” 

The ringleader stepped up then, lifting his stick to press it into Jacob’s chest to hold him against the wall. He surveyed him quickly. If his upturned nose and downturned lips were any indication, he certainly didn’t like what he saw. He eventually met Jacob’s eyes, saying, “I don’t like you.”

Jacob snorted. “So?”

The boy’s eyebrows scrunched together, and the stick was pressed harder into Jacob’s chest. “So that means we can’t be friends.”

“Aw,” Jacob said, voice growing gruff. At his sides, his hands were clenching in and out of fists, itching to knock the kid to the ground. “Too bad for me then, huh?”

“Yes,” the boy said, nodding. “It is too bad for you, but it’ll be fun for us because now we get to give you the Dulaque initiation.” He tilted his head towards the tall boy. “Moriarty, if you’d like.”

The tall boy stepped forward. Jacob quickly realized what was going to happen when the boy’s arm started to raise with a closed fist. He swiftly kicked the leader in the stomach, sending him away with a loud ‘oof!’ He ducked down and nearly winced in sympathy when the tall boy’s – Moriarty – hand collided hard against the brick wall. 

Jacob ducked past him, making sure to knock him off balance with his shoulder along the way, and ran out of the alleyway, arms pumping by his side. He heard the leader’s wind-knocked voice shout, “Well don’t just stand there! Go get him, Lamia!”

Soon enough, Jacob heard Lamia’s quick and light footsteps leave the alleyway and begin to chase him down the sidewalk. Jacob elbowed his way through annoyed adults and pissy New Yorkers, but it wasn’t enough. Lamia was slimmer and faster than him, and she was quickly catching up.

Jacob was about to turn a corner when someone grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him into a building that was to his right. He coughed, struggling in the grasp, until he found a mop of messy hair and two brown eyes. 

It was Flynn. 

“C’mon, be quiet,” Flynn muttered. He let go of Jacob’s shirt. Jacob glanced around and quickly realized they were in some kind of library or bookstore. He felt Flynn’s hands on his back shoving him towards a shelf. “The Fantasy aisle is a great place to hide. Get over there, get down, and be quiet, okay?”

Jacob didn’t hesitate to dive behind a long book shelf. He parted the books and peeked through just in time to see Lamia burst through the door, a little bell jingling over her head. Flynn, leaning against the counter that stood near the door, looked up and feigned surprise. “Oh, hey. Can I help you? It’s, uh, Lamia, right? Funny, you didn’t strike me as much of a-.”

“Shut up, Carsen,” Lamia snapped, voice annoyed. She was panting slightly, eyes darting around the room quickly. She didn’t flinch when Moriarty and the leader tumbled through the door behind her. Moriarty was holding his hand against his chest, and the leader was practically wheezing.

Flynn stepped away from the counter, apprehension obvious on his face. He wiped it away quickly with a displeased look. “Oh, hello, James. Of course you’re here.”

Moriarty – James – glared at him, but he otherwise ignored him and turned to Lamia. “Where is he?”

Lamia shrugged, still looking around tirelessly. “I dunno. He turned in here.”

The leader stepped up to Flynn, and Jacob couldn’t help a tiny smirk at the way Flynn had to literally look down at him. The kid was really short. The leader stuck up his nose at Flynn and asked, “Where is the new kid, Carsen?”

Flynn frowned. “Who’re you talking about, Prospero?”

The kid’s face instantly turned beet red, and he even stamped his feet on the ground, yelling, “That’s not my name! I know you all think it’s funny, but it’s not! My name is Peter. Peter!”

Flynn shook his head, stepping behind the counter once more. He began to adjust some books on top of it, inspecting them carefully. “Whatever. In any case, nobody’s in here. Nobody is ever in here. If you’re looking for someone, might I suggest the giant city that is just out that door? Or, I guess, if this person is a relative of yours, the junkyard isn’t too far. I’m sure you could even get there before nightfall.”

Moriarty opened his mouth to say something, but Jacob missed it when someone cleared their throat behind him. He jumped, startled, and spun around to see a man standing before him. The man was older – maybe in his fifties – and he had an unamused expression on his face. He had dark brown hair with strands of silver and white streaking through it. His face was a little wrinkled due to what appeared to be a permanent frown. 

He raised an eyebrow at Jacob. “Can I help you, young man?”

“Oh, I, uh,” Jacob stammered. He glanced through the bookshelves again to see that Peter and his gang had yet to leave. He swallowed hard and looked back at the man. “Uh…just looking?”

The man, unimpressed, set his hand atop one of Jacob’s shoulders and led him from behind the bookshelf and into the open. Jacob saw Flynn’s eyes widen, Lamia smirk, Moriarty’s unhurt fist clench, and Peter tap his stick against the ground in anticipation. When the man stopped, Jacob glanced up to see him frowning even more. He looked towards Flynn. “What is going on here, Mr. Carsen?”

“Nothing,” Peter answered before Flynn could. He took a step towards Jacob and the man. “My friends and I are just here to collect this boy. He’s a friend of ours, you see. We were just playing some old fashion…hide-and-seek.”

It sounded dumb, and Jacob could see Peter knew it with the way his grip was tightening and loosening on his stick periodically. The man could see it as well. “Well, congratulations, you’ve found him. Now I must ask you to leave unless you are here to check out a book. I don’t know if this young man told you or not, but I hired him last week to work here and his shift is about to begin. You are being distractions, so you have to leave. Come along, out you go.”

The man released his grip on Jacob and began shooing the three teenagers out like a cattle dog herded its sheep. Jacob saw Moriarty glare at him and Lamia swipe her finger threateningly against her throat before the door was closed behind them.

The man turned around again, surveyed Jacob, and sighed. “Well, that was quite ridiculous.”

Jacob’s hand reached up, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Uh, yeah…sorry ‘bout that. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble, sir.”

The man’s eyebrows rose a little bit. “Ah, finally, a polite teenager. Apology accepted. Feel free to peruse the library as much as you wish.” He glanced towards Flynn, eyebrows lowering in annoyance. “And might I suggest, Mr. Carsen, that you get back to work lest I do hire this boy over you.” He spared on more glance at Jacob again before he wandered off into the back of the library. Over his shoulder he said, “If you’re interested, I always have positions open.”

“Oh, uh, thank you!” Jacob called after him. He glanced at Flynn and picked up his sheepish neck-rubbing again. “And, uh, thank you too. I probably would’ve been dead meat if it weren’t for you, man.”

Flynn shrugged. “No big deal. I hate those kids anyways. Anything I can do to tick them off, I’m all over it.”

“Who are they anyway?” Jacob asked, walking up to the counter. 

Flynn rolled his eyes. “Peter, Lamia, and James. Assholes from the school. I think Lamia’s in your grade, but Peter and James are in mine. And, believe it or not, Lamia’s actually the nice one.”

Jacob snorted. “Didn’t seem so nice as she was tracking me down through the streets of New York.”

Flynn shrugged. “She enjoys a good chase.”

Jacob was about to thank him again and make an awkward exit, but a thought struck him and he asked, “Why’d you call that guy Prospero though, if his name is Peter?”

Flynn chuckled at that, shaking his head slightly as if it were a fond memory. “Y’see, I used to be in elementary school with the guy. In fourth – or was it fifth? eh, doesn’t matter – grade, he read a lot of Shakespeare plays to prove to everybody he was the brightest and the best. He demanded that everyone call him Prospero, the character from the Tempest. I think everybody teased him too much afterwards for him to even be able to hear the name the same way ever again. Now when you call him it, he hates it.”

“Oh,” Jacob said, grinning a little bit, “that’s rough.”

Flynn nodded. “Yeah, I guess. But, then again, I’d feel more bad for him if he didn’t think beating people up and treating them like dirt was fun.”

Jacob felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out. He nearly cursed when he saw his mom’s name; she’d texted him five times since school got out. She was going to be really mad which meant his dad was going to be beyond pissed off. 

He glanced up at Flynn, shooting him an unsure smile. “Really, man, thank you. I really appreciate it. I’ll, uh, see you at school tomorrow?”

Flynn shrugged. “Yeah, sure. And, no problem.” Jacob turned to leave but stopped when he heard, “He was serious about that job thing. And, I guess you’re okay, so feel free to call up the library if you’re looking for something to do other than shoot up or smoke pot or whatever normal, delinquent kids do in New York City. Ask for Jenkins.”

Jacob glanced over at him, frowning. “Who’s Jenkins?”

Flynn nodded in the direction the man had disappeared. “Boss. He’s a little sour all of the time and, yes, he does always frown, but he’s nice, beneath it all. He’s a good guy.”

Jacob grinned at him. “Okay, cool, thanks!”

Flynn just hummed at him in acknowledgement, and Jacob stepped through the front door, the bell jingling overhead.

And then immediately stepped back inside when he realized he still had no clue where he was or how he was going to get home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you so much to all the great responses this story has gotten so far! It means the absolute world to me!! A lot of you have been asking questions that have gotten even me pausing and just going "Hm..." so thank you so much!! Hopefully this chapter will help clear up some more stuff and set a decent path for the way I want this story to go!
> 
> And, also, I wanna say now that this story will have no set-schedule. The only reason this chapter came out so soon is because I already had half of it written, I only needed to tweak a few things here and there. I am setting a self-goal to have at least one new chapter every weekend, but there's no promise I'll actually stick to that, lol; there may be chapters put up in the middle of the week or chapters that don't get out every weekend. I'll try my best though!
> 
> If you ever wanna ask me anything, I'm always looking in my comments and I have a tumblr with the same name as this account here, so anyone is absolutely free to hit me up and strike a conversation any time you'd like!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy and I can't wait to give out more as soon as possible!!


	3. Jobs and Homes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob gets a new job and runs into Ezekiel at the grocery store.

When Jacob’s dad told him he needed to find a job a few weeks later, Jacob knew just the place to find one. He was walking through the streets of New York, hands jammed in the pockets of his Carhartt and scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. In a couple of days, it would be Thanksgiving; the small shops and cafes that littered the street the library sat on had decorative autumn leaf streamers and turkeys hanging in their windows.

When Jacob pushed open the door, he glanced up as the little bell jingled over his head. He glanced around the front of the building to find it completely empty. He saw one of Flynn’s jackets hanging over the counter, but other than that, there was no sign of him. 

Jacob unzipped his jacket and began to wander towards the back of the library, fingers brushing against the spines of the books he passed, looking at them distantly. 

He eventually emerged from a row of bookshelves and saw a door cracked open to his right. He frowned and walked over to the door, peeking inside for any signs of Flynn or even Jenkins. What he found was something pulled directly out of a sci-fi movie. 

It looked to be some sort of laboratory with long tables topped with steaming beakers and Bunsen burners. On the walls were lined with cabinets filled with bottles labeled with old, fading tape and markered-on names like Dragon’s Tongue, Buddha’s Hand, and Doll’s Eye. On the center of the table in the middle of the room stood a jar with an unidentifiable liquid and what appeared to be a human brain crammed inside.

Jacob was about to step into the room when the door slammed shut in front of him. He heard someone clear their throat behind him and whipped around to find Jenkins looking prim and proper in a nice suit. His signature frown was on his face, eyebrows scrunched together and conveying his disappointment in Jacob. “Hello, Mr. Stone. What were you snooping – ahem – doing?”

Jacob felt his face grow hot as he stammered, “Oh, I was, just looking for you. Or Flynn!” He shuffled his feet and muttered, “I’m sorry, sir.”

“Hmm,” Jenkins hummed. He clicked his tongue loudly before he began to walk away, not turning as he said, “And what can I help you with, Mr. Stone?”

“I was just – wait, how did you know my name?” Jacob asked, quickening his pace to keep up with Jenkins. For an older dude, he could certainly walk fast.

“Mr. Carsen is a very…active talker,” Jenkins said. They had reached the front of the library, and Flynn was now there, shelving books from a giant stack he had in his hands. He glanced over his shoulder as they walked in and sent Jacob a smile and a nod. They’d become pretty good friends after Flynn had saved Jacob’s butt and then walked him home afterwards when Jacob had told him he was utterly lost. 

As a matter of fact, Jacob had become pretty good friends with the entire group of kids he had met on his first day. Cassandra acted as his guide through the horribleness that was Dulaque’s and the mischievousness that was Ezekiel Jones. Baird had immediately become protective of him when Flynn had told the story of how he’d saved Jacob from the pack of savage teenagers; she’d even offered to castrate James for him, if he wanted. 

The only one Jacob still didn’t really get was Ezekiel. He always wanted to start bickering conversations with Jacob, and it seemed his main goal was to just piss Jacob off. But he still let Jacob sit next to him in their classes, so he didn’t really mind too much.

“Now,” Jenkins said, drawing Jacob away from his train of thought. He was standing behind the counter now, hands crossed in front of him. “What can I assist you with, Mr. Stone?”

“Oh, uh,” Jacob said, suddenly feeling nervous. Flynn had finished his shelving and had wandered to the front of the counter, leaning against it; he stared at Jacob just as expectantly as Jenkins did. “Last time I was here, you mentioned having positions open? Like for a job? I was wondering if that offer still stood. You see, my dad wants me to-.”

Jenkins cut him off with a raise of his hand. “Say no more. You’re hired. Flynn can work out a schedule; you’ll find that I’m very flexible with times. Show up when you can, and if you can’t, we can talk. I trust Mr. Carsen to show you the ropes, and I’m sure you won’t find the work here very hard. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.” He shared a quick wink with Jacob, stepping back around the counter. “And next time, maybe we can knock, hm?”

Jacob nodded, feeling excitement bubble up inside of him. “Yeah, yeah, of course! Thank you so much, sir! I promise you won’t regret it!”

Jenkins stopped at the threshold of the bookshelves and glanced back at Jacob. Slowly, he nodded and a small smile appeared on his face. “Welcome to the team, Jacob.”

When he disappeared into the back of the library again, Jacob turned towards Flynn. He found him with a giant smile on his face. “So you decided to come around, huh?”

Jacob shrugged. “My dad said I had to get a job and help support the family or he’d kick me out on the streets.”

Flynn’s smile vanished and his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Jacob, feeling a little panicked, forced a laugh. “Just kiddin’, man. I just figured, new place, new job, new me, right? That’s what I’m supposed to be doin’ anyway.”

Flynn nodded slowly, grin coming back bit by bit. “Right, sure.” His eyes sparkled as he stepped towards Jacob, bending his head close and lowering his voice. “Wanna see where I hide the mini fridge with the sodas and snacks?”

Jacob laughed, more real and bubbly this time. He nodded. “Heck yeah, man.”  
~~~  
On the day before Thanksgiving, Jacob had been assigned by his mom to go to the grocery store and pick up some last minute meal supplies that they were missing. His jacket was zipped up tightly, scarf wrapped even tighter, and he had even added a beanie to the ensemble to help keep his ears warm.

Jacob pushed his way through the doors of the market, instantly getting blasted with artificial hot air. He undid his scarf a little and began to wander around the store, having no clue where he was going to find the stuff he needed. 

Jacob was examining a box of stuffing when someone accidentally ran into him. He fumbled with the box, mouth going into overdrive before he could stop it, “Oops, sorry, my bad. I shouldn’t have been standing in the way. Are you okay? Did you…Jones?”

Standing before him was Ezekiel Jones. He looked a little nervous, hands shoved deep into his pockets. His hair was smushed into a stocking cap on his head, but he was only wearing a sweatshirt to cover the rest of his body from the intense cold. He glanced around, eyes moving sporadically. “Oh, uh, hey, Stone. What’s up?”

Jacob shrugged, holding up the box of stuffing. “Food, y’know?”

“Oh, yeah,” Ezekiel said. “Me too. Uh, can I-?”

“Hey, punk!” 

Ezekiel was cut off by a man who was currently tearing down the aisle towards them. He was a bigger guy, and he was wearing one of the green aprons all the clerks had to wear. He had an angry scowl on his face, and Ezekiel jumped, startled, and then the contents of his pocket spilled to the floor. He’d been harboring a bag of carrots, a couple of potatoes, a bag of chocolates, and then a small chicken slipped from between his sweatshirt and what was hopefully a t-shirt underneath it. Jacob stared at him, wide-eyed; how had he been able to hide so much stuff while wearing so little?

“I thought I told you never to come into my store again,” the man snarled, reaching them. Ezekiel had jumped behind Jacob; the only thing still in his hands was one potato. The man looked down at the scattered food items on the floor. His eyes, narrowed, came back up and landed on Ezekiel again. “Planning to steal from me again, you little shit?”

“Uh, well, you see,” Ezekiel stammered. “The thing is-.”

“I was gonna pay,” Jacob interrupted him, and the man’s eyes darted to him. Jacob shrugged. “Is that okay? We’re just picking up some supplies before tomorrow. A little late, I know, but I only got my paycheck yesterday.”

It was a lie. The only money Jacob had was the little left over from what he’d earned from his last few days of working in Oklahoma, but it was okay. Flynn had assured him Jenkins payed decently. He’d make up the cash again in no time. Plus, Ezekiel did look pretty scared of the giant standing before them. 

“Show me,” the man snapped. 

Jacob nodded and pulled his wallet out of his pocket and opened it up to the man. A few, dingy bills sat inside, but they were enough to cover all of Ezekiel’s food and Jacob’s stuffing. The man looked at it for a long time, sent one last glare at Ezekiel, and then lumbered away, muttering to himself about privileged white kids. 

Jacob shoved the wallet back in his pocket, bending down to pick up the food Ezekiel had dropped. Ezekiel quickly joined him, shoving the small chicken under his arm. He glanced up at Jacob and then quickly looked away. “Look, you didn’t have to do that. I would’ve covered it.”

Jacob shrugged. “Sure, I know. Now, c’mon, pick that shit up. I’ll help you carry it home.”

Ezekiel’s eyes widened. “N-no, you don’t have to do that. I’ll manage.”

Jacob rolled his eyes, already laden with the bag of carrots, a potato, and his stuffing. He began to walk away from Ezekiel, towards the check-out. “Dude, you owe me; I get to do whatever I want. C’mon, let’s go.”

He heard Ezekiel sigh, but he followed Jacob silently nevertheless.  
~~~  
Jacob had followed Ezekiel through the streets of New York in total silence. Ezekiel seemed to not care because he certainly didn’t try to start up any sort of conversation either until they’d reached a large, nearly run-down looking apartment complex. He turned to Jacob, reaching out for the brown paper bag Jacob had his arms wrapped around.

“I really appreciate the spotting, hick, but I can cover it from here,” Ezekiel said. Jacob took a step back, leaving Ezekiel’s hand to swipe in empty air.

Jacob shook his head. “Jones, if you really expect me to let you do it alone after following you this far, then you really are as stupid as you act.”

Ezekiel huffed angrily, and he stood there, eyeing Jacob for a long time. Eventually, he shook his head. “Fine. Just follow me and try to be quiet, okay? The neighbors are probably sleeping.”

Jacob nodded, but instead of going through the front door like Jacob expected him to, Ezekiel glanced around quickly before leading the way into a side alley. They walked past trash-heaped Dumpsters until they came upon a fire escape. A strong-looking, nylon rope was tied on the bottom ladder. Ezekiel had to leap a few times, but when he latched onto it and pulled, the ladder soared towards them loudly. 

Ezekiel mounted the ladder and then paused, glancing back at Jacob. “Last chance to ditch out…I wouldn’t blame you.”

Jacob shook his head. “Just keep leading the way, Jones, okay?”

So, as quietly as their walk, Jacob followed Ezekiel up the tall fire escape until they reached one of the higher floors. Ezekiel knocked on the window to an apartment twice before he slid it open and climbed in. Jacob looked around him one last time before he crawled in after Ezekiel.

Jacob found a nice, clean apartment. It was warm and comfortable looking, if not a bit cramped, and felt even more welcoming than his place ever had – the new one and the old. A woman was in a kitchen that was open to the living room, and when Jacob climbed in, she looked up with a warm smile on her face.

“Ezekiel, you’re home. And I see you brought a friend,” the woman said, stepping away from the kitchen and over to the two boys. She wrapped Ezekiel in a quick and tight hug before turning to Jacob, a sweet smile on her face. “Hello, dear, I’m Ezekiel’s mom.”

Jacob nodded to her, shifting the bags in his arms to stick out a hand to her. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jones. I’m Jacob Stone.”

Mrs. Jones laughed lightly, shaking his hand. “Such a gentleman. It’s so nice to meet one of Ezekiel’s friends; I’m sure you know that Cassandra girl too.” She turned to her son and pointed into the kitchen. “Zeke, honey, why don’t you put those groceries on the counter. I’m sure-.”

She was cut off by the patter of little feet on the hardwood floor. Three girls – one taller than the other two – came racing down a hallway off to Jacob’s right. They wrapped Ezekiel up in one giant hug and squealed, with adorable little Australian accents to match Ezekiel’s, “Ezekiel, you’re home, you’re home!”

Ezekiel laughed and wrapped his arms tightly back around the girls, dropping his groceries. Jacob watched the scene, absolutely marveled; he’d never seen Ezekiel so care-free and happy. Next to him, Mrs. Jones tutted, but the smile was still on her face. “I’ll grab the groceries and let you meet the girls. Will you be staying for super, dear?”

“Uh, no,” Jacob said quickly, shaking his head. “Thank you though, ma’am. I really ought to get home soon.”

“Well, alright,” Mrs. Jones said, already starting to walk away, “but just know we’ll be pestering Zeke to get you back here as soon as possible.”

Jacob was about to thank her again when a squeaky voice asked, “Who’s he, Zekey?”

Jacob glanced over to find the tallest of the three girls pointing at him. She had a frown on her face, but she didn’t seem too upset that a total stranger had just crawled into her living room with a bag of food in his hands. 

“That’s Jacob, a friend from school. He helped me bring our Thanksgiving dinner home,” Ezekiel told her. He glanced at Jacob, grinning a little bit. “Jacob, this Riley, my little sister. And these are the twins, Emma and Sophie.” He leaned in closer to his sisters, loudly whispering, “Jacob’s a cowboy.”

Emma and Sophie’s eyes widened, running at him. “Are you really?” “Do you have a horse?” “Can we try on your cowboy hat?!”

Jacob had a hard time suppressing the giant smile that was threatening to split his face in two. “Uh, yeah, I guess I am. No I don’t. And, yeah, if I’m allowed to come back, I’ll bring back two cowboy hats – one for each of you.”

The two wrapped him quickly in a tight hug that was so sudden, it nearly stole Jacob’s breath away. “Thank you!!”

“Alright, you two,” Ezekiel said, laughing lightly, “release him. Jacob’s gotta get home soon.”

The girls pulled away and then raced off down the hall again, giggling madly. Riley, smiling as well, began to follow them. Ezekiel stopped her, asking, “Hey, Riles, is Dad gonna be here tomorrow? Do we know yet?”

Riley shrugged, but she had a smile on her face. “Mommy doesn’t know yet, but she said he’s gonna try really hard to get off work tomorrow to be with us. But she said we shouldn’t get too excited because his mean boss might not let him leave.”

“Right,” Ezekiel said, nodding. Jacob noticed a tired frown on his face. He shook it off and shouted, “I’m taking Jacob downstairs; I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Alright, honey,” Ezekiel’s mom said back calmly. “It was nice meeting you, Jake.”

“You too, ma’am,” Jacob called back, beginning to follow Ezekiel out the window again. 

They started their descent, but this time Jacob couldn’t keep quiet. “Why do you have to take the fire escape?”

Ezekiel, who was on top of him, glanced down. He sighed, but he still had the remnants of a smile on his face so he said, “Because of our landlord. I’m technically not supposed to be living here. Don’t ask about that because it’s a long story but…” He sighed again, looking straight up at the sky now. “It has to do with the fact I have to steal a few, meager carrots for our Thanksgiving dinner, and why my dad has to work three hundred sixty-four days out of the year. Just…accept that as the best answer I’m gonna give you, alright?”

When they reached the ground again, they were met with an awkward stand-off. Jacob was the first one to break the silence, quickly saying, “I’m not gonna tell anybody…if you’re worried about that.”

Ezekiel shrugged. “The only people I’d feel embarrassed about knowing already know, so, if you did, it wouldn’t matter.”

Jacob nodded, biting his lip. “Your sisters seem really sweet.”

Ezekiel shrugged, but he had a fond smile on his face. “Yeah, they’re okay.” He paused a bit, eyes searching Jacob’s face. Eventually, he said, “I’ll invite you back, okay? Maybe you can meet my dad too; he’s a bit of a dork, but he’s pretty cool too. You just gotta promise to bring those cowboy hats, okay?”

Jacob smiled and said, “Yeah, man. I wouldn’t dare to forget.” He shuffled his feet a little, turning towards the sidewalk again. “I’ll see you at school next week.”

“Yeah, see you,” Ezekiel said, and, if Jacob wasn’t mistaken, he actually sounded a little pleased because of it.

When Jacob was halfway back to the grocery store, he realized he’d left his stuffing with the Jones’s groceries. He didn’t really care though; he was sure they would enjoy the extra bit of food. He’d just pick up another box on his way home.

Despite the chilling weather, Jacob felt warm inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how difficult this chapter was to put together. My brain was definitely against me, but I did it!! I hope y'all enjoy :) 
> 
> Jacob gets a job and understands Ezekiel just a little bit more...what else could you ask for, right?


	4. Stories Retold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob and Flynn have a little adventure and maybe see more than they were supposed to...

“Hey, you ready?” Jacob asked, walking up to where Flynn was leaning against the side of the school building. Eve was next to him, looking cold with her giant coat and red nose and ears. December had just started up and around them little banks of dirty snow had begun piling up. 

Flynn nodded at him, teeth chattering. “Uh, yeah, soon. I need to go grab something from my history teacher then we can walk together. You wanna come with me?”

Jacob nodded. “Yeah, sure. You comin’ with, Baird?”

Eve shook her head, pointing a gloved hand to where a hummer had just pulled into the drive. It growled loudly, and Jacob figured it was probably the most unnecessary car in New York. “Can’t, that’s my dad. I might stop by the library later and see you guys. If I don’t, see you tomorrow.”

“C’mon,” Flynn said, leading the way back into the school as Eve trudged over to her dad. Jacob followed him, untwining his scarf a little as they walked inside. Next to him, Flynn was rambling, “Don’t worry about being late. I’m always late, and Jenkins doesn’t care. All he cares is that there’s someone there when he’s not, but he’s always there on Thursdays so we really have nothing to worry about. I mean, he could’ve gone out for coffee but-.”

“Flynn,” Jacob interrupted, chuckling slightly. “I don’t care, man. I know we’ll be fine. What do you need to grab anyway?”

Flynn looked at him, uncertain for a moment, before he said, “My teacher, Mr. Lazlo, lets me take home a text book whenever I want to. He trusts me, I guess. My grandparents have a pretty extensive library at their house, but I always find it funny how school books twist history in unimaginable ways.”

Jacob grinned at that, nodding. “I know what you mean. School text books are absolutely ridiculous. I’m pretty sure everything I’ve actually accurately learned has been from my own material.”

Flynn shot him a wide smile. “Oh, do your parents have a library too?”

Jacob shook his head. “Uh, no. I’m pretty sure my dad’s never actually read for leisure in his entire life. In fact, I don’t think he’s actually read anything for school or work either. They’re not really the…‘value learning’ type of parents. I had a teacher back in Oklahoma who would lend me stuff on the occasion; y’know, after I had to convince him I wasn’t gonna rip the books up or throw them around as a fake football.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Flynn said, nodding. He stopped by a door and said, “This’ll be real quick and then we can get out of here.”

“Sounds good,” Jacob said. He leant against the wall as Flynn disappeared into the classroom. He pulled out his crappy flip-phone and glanced at it, relieved to find no messages from his parents. They didn’t enjoy texting, so when they send him something did, he knew it wasn’t for a casual chat. 

Jacob was about to return the phone to his pocket when it freaked out, the screen flashing weirdly. He frowned down at it and tapped a few buttons, but the screen kept flashing. He glanced up when he saw a bright, blue light turn on at the end of the hall. It started flashing too, and Jacob realized it was in perfect sync with his phone. 

Jacob took a step forward, ready to investigate, when a hand landed on his shoulder. He jumped, startled, and stumbled away. Ha turned back to find Flynn with a confused expression on his face. “Uh, hey, you good? You ready to go?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jacob said, nodding. He glanced back over his shoulder to find the blue light still there and still flashing. He took a deep breath before saying, “But I wanna check something out first.”

Flynn shrugged. “Whatever, buddy. Lead the way.”

Jacob nodded and turned around again, heading for the blue light. Flynn followed him closely until they reached the point where the hall turned, and Jacob peeked around the corner. At the end of the hall were the two glass doors that belonged to Principal Dulaque’s office. From inside them, the blue light was flashing bright. Flynn, whose head had peeked out on top of Jacob’s, muttered, “What the hell…?”

“I dunno,” Jacob murmured back. In a crouching position, he creeped along the edge of the wall towards the office. To his relief, Flynn followed, crouching down as well. When they reached the two doors, Jacob stood on one side and Flynn took the other. They shared a glanced before cupping their hands over the glass and peeking in.

Through the blinding blue light, Jacob could make out the tall, thin figure of Dulaque. He was standing with someone else, and it took Jacob only a minute to realize it was the girl who’d terrorized him on his first day – Lamia. They were both standing over some sort of raised stone altar. Whatever the source of the blue light was lay on top of it. 

Suddenly, the light cut out and atop the altar stood an old, metal crown-looking thing. Jacob frowned, leaning in closer to make out the words Dulaque and Lamia were saying.

“It’s not working,” Lamia growled. She picked up the crown and threw it to the ground. “This is useless!”

“Pick it up.” Dulaque’s voice was cold and controlled. Now that Jacob could see his face, he found it pulled taut into a frown. “We don’t treat artifacts with disrespect.”

“We do if they don’t work!” Lamia protested. Dulaque’s sharp eyes turned on her, barely concealing a boiling rage that threatened to tip out. Lamia shrunk away from him, quickly going to pick up the crown. “Sorry, Uncle. I just got frustrated.”

“Hm,” Dulaque hummed, obviously disappointed. “I can tell. But acting like a three-year-old who does not get her way will not be the way in which we will bring magic back into the world.”

Jacob pulled away, face pulling down in confusion. He glanced at Flynn who looked equally as confused and raised an eyebrow at him. Flynn only shrugged and leaned back in to listen more.

“I know, Uncle,” Lamia was saying, placing the crown back on the altar. “I’m just so tired of waiting.”

Dulaque looked at her and then sighed. “Where are you with getting your little…friends to help us?”

Lamia sighed, shaking her head harshly. “Peter and James don’t believe me. They called me foolish; they told me magic didn’t exist. But it does! I know it does! They won’t believe me!” She suddenly grinned, looking sinister. “But, Uncle, if you teach me one of your spells, I can show them.”

“No,” Dulaque said, shaking his head. He suddenly waved his hand over the altar, and Jacob watched in awe as the carpeted floor opened beneath it. It began to sink down, taking the crown with it, and then the floor closed up again, as if it had never been there. “Without the ley lines open, it is too dangerous to perform any sort of magic. You will have to convince them another way.”

“They won’t believe me!” Lamia said, voice growing in volume. She looked angry, but when her uncle turned on her with those harsh, cold eyes again, she shut her mouth and hung her head. Jacob could barely just make out what she said as she muttered, “I’m sorry. I will speak to them more.”

“Good,” Dulaque said, nodding. “Until then, keep up your search. Without the sword, the ley lines cannot be opened, and I will never be free of this wretched dimension. Do you understand that?”

Lamia nodded, eyes still pointed at the ground. “Yes, Uncle, I understand.”

“Good. Now, I want you to-.”

He stopped at the sound of a loud thump. Jacob, eyes wide, turned to look at Flynn who was staring at the text book he had just dropped. His mouth was wide, and he looked up at Jacob, terrified. 

Inside the office, Jacob heard Dulaque growl, “What was that?”

“I’ll go check it out,” Lamia said, and her swift footsteps began to approach the door.

“Go, go!” Jacob whispered harshly. He stood to his full height, grabbed Flynn by the arm, and began to drag him away. Flynn had barely enough time to snatch his text book and then get his feet together underneath him, forcing himself to match Jacob’s sprinting pace down the hall.

Just as they turned the corner, they heard the office door open behind them, but they didn’t stop to say hello to Lamia or her uncle. They kept running until they burst outside into the freezing cold air and then continued running through the streets of New York, both brains equally going haywire about what they’d just seen.  
~~~  
When Jacob and Flynn pushed through the library’s door, they heard the bell jingle above them before they tripped over each other, landing in a mess of tangled limbs and panting breaths. Jacob, who was able to angle his head to look up, saw three equally concerned pairs of eyes staring down at him.

“Well,” Ezekiel said, a little bit of a smirk on his lips, “that was a bit over dramatic.”

“Are you guys okay? Did you hurt yourselves?” Cassandra asked, already bending down to help them untangle themselves from each other. 

“Was it those jerks again?” Eve demanded, already stepping towards the door and pushing it open to glare outside, eyes wide and searching for any sign of Peter, James, or Lamia. 

“Not them,” Jacob huffed, pulling himself away from Flynn. Flynn was still wheezing on the ground, and Jacob suddenly felt really grateful for the three years of football his dad had forced him to play. He may have hated the sport, but at least he was fit enough to sprint the few blocks from the school to Jenkins’s library. “Well, sorta not them.”

“What was that?” Flynn gasped out, hand on his fluttering chest. Cassandra sat next to him, hands worriedly flying around him to try and figure out the best way she could help. Flynn tilted his head, eyes meeting Jacob’s. “C’mon, what was that?!”

“I dunno!” Jacob snapped, shaking his head. “It was freaky, whatever it was! What were they talking about?”

“What were who talking about?” Ezekiel asked, sounding both equally bored and intrigued which Jacob was pretty sure was something only Ezekiel Jones was capable of.

“Lamia,” Flynn said.

“And Dulaque,” Jacob added. He met eyes with Flynn, a silent question in the way he crooked up one of his eyebrows. Should they tell them? Would they believe them?

Was magic real?

Jacob’s first instinct was no, of course not. That would be ridiculous. But he had also seen what he had seen. The crown thing had been glowing, the altar thing had sunk into the floor, and the floor had opened up with a wave of Dulaque’s hand. All signs pointed to what Dulaque had been talking about – real life freaking magic!

“Hey, earth to egg-heads,” Eve said, still scouting by the door. Her voice sounded annoyed, and she rolled her eyes when Flynn and Jacob looked at her. “What were they talking about?”

Flynn looked at Jacob again. Jacob nodded marginally. Flynn took a deep breath and said, “Magic.”

The other three immediately looked doubtful and confused, so Jacob and Flynn told them what had happened, starting with Jacob’s phone glitching out. They told them about the weird blue light, the altar, the crown, and the conversation Lamia had been having with Dulaque, who was her uncle. Jacob hadn’t known that previously, but he assumed it was pretty common knowledge amongst the others because they hadn’t asked any questions about that. 

“What did they mean…bring magic back?” Cassandra asked, voice a little hesitant. The other three still seemed pretty doubtful about Jacob and Flynn’s story, but they also had no reason to not believe them either. They knew Flynn and Jacob were a couple of mature teenagers; they weren’t the sort to tell a story like that for shits and giggles.

Jacob shrugged, biting his lip a little. “Uh, I don’t know. Dulaque mentioned somethin’ about ley lines? I think? Anybody got a clue what those are?”

“Ley lines,” Ezekiel said, squinting at his phone, “an imaginary line between some important places such as hills, believed to be where very old paths lie.” He paused and then looked up at the others, finally adding, “Ley lines are sometimes thought to have special powers.”

“What sorts of powers?” Cassandra asked, and if Jacob wasn’t mistaken, she seemed a bit excited by it all.

Ezekiel shrugged, scrolling down his phone. “Doesn’t say. I guess there’s only so much the internet can give you.”

“Well, look,” Eve said, brining everyone’s attention to her. During the whole story, she had been quiet, listening and thinking. Now she said, “Even if this whole…magic thing is real, I don’t see what the big idea is. If they really are trying to bring magic back, it seems like they’re not doing a really good job of it. Just because they can make a crown glow and the ground open up doesn’t mean they’ve got much going for them. Plus, I mean, isn’t magic this really great thing? What’s the harm if it is real? And it does come back?”

Flynn looked a little stumped by that, but Jacob shook his head. “If men like Dulaque can get ahold of it, then think of what men worse than Dulaque could do with it. I mean, think about it. Dictators, murderers, people with high ambitions that won’t let anything get in their way. We’ve all read fairy tales and stuff. Evil people arose from the world because they got ahold of magic. We can’t just sit by and let them get ahold of it again.”

“Yeah, well, what’re we supposed to do about it?” Ezekiel asked. He just shrugged when everyone looked at him. “We’re just a bunch-a kids, mate. We’ve got nothin’ save for a really smart dude, a chick who can punch people, a girl who’s good at math, a kid who can steal shit, and a cowboy who can apparently run marathons, no sweat. Dulaque’s an adult. He’s got other adults on his side. If he catches us trying to – I dunno – stop him or something, it’s our word against his. And I think he’s got some pretty good words.”

“I think you underestimate what a smart group of kids can accomplish when they put their brains together.”

They all jumped and looked to find Jenkins standing in the bookshelves. He had a calculating look in his eyes, surveying each one of them. Jacob and Flynn scrambled to their feet, Jacob quickly saying, “Jenkins, sir! Sorry, we were just – uh – waiting for customers. If you want we can-.”

Jacob cut himself when Jenkins held up a hand. “Thank you, Mr. Stone, but I heard everything.”

“Everything?” Flynn yelped, eyes going wide. He quickly said, “Please don’t send us to a mad house! I promise we’re not crazy. And I promise we’re not on drugs either! We would never! We were telling the truth. M-magic is real, and I know that sounds stupid and childish but-.”

Jenkins hand cut Flynn off this time. He had a small grin on his face. “Yes, I know, Mr. Carsen. I am well aware.” He turned around and began walking into the back of the library. “Come along, children. I have something I would like to show you.”

The five teenagers all shared a long look before they unanimously followed Jenkins into the Library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope this clears up any questions on whether this is going to include magic or not ;)
> 
> We're gettin' into some fun stuff in the next chapter with figuring out just who Jenkins really is and hearing what the kids are going to decide to do about Dulaque and his seemingly evil plans...
> 
> Thanks so much for all the support; it means the world to me guys <3


	5. The Annex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenkins reveals the Annex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This contains brief mentions of child abuse (or, at the very least, heavily hints at it). Nothing graphic is shown.

Jenkins led them to his office, the room Jacob had found earlier with the beakers, ingredients, and brains. He stopped at the door, hand on the knob, and slowly turned to face them. In a calm and careful voice, he said, “If you walk through this door your lives will change. I cannot guarantee that you will be safe. But if you don’t walk through, your questions will be left unanswered. Choose now if you wish to proceed.”

Jacob glanced around and studied the others quickly. He knew Flynn, seeker of all types of knowledge, would’ve never left; it was in his bones to keep searching and finding any and every thing that he could. Baird looked determined which meant she wouldn’t leave either; Jacob still hadn’t known her that long, but he’d quickly realized that when she set her mind to something, she wouldn’t let it go unfinished.

Cassandra looked excited, and he noticed that, every so often, she’d subconsciously rub at her forehead. Maybe she thought, if magic was real, she’d find a cure for her tumor; Jacob hoped so. Ezekiel looked excited too, buzzing erratically at Cassandra’s side. He kept trying to peek around Jenkins, as if he had X-ray vision that could help him see through the door. He wouldn’t be leaving either.

Which left Jacob. Why would he stay? He liked knowledge, yes, but to him magic seemed unpredictable. It seemed there would be about as much knowledge about it as there was about the future. It would happen yes, you could control it to an extent yeah, but it could also change – drastically. Jenkins hadn’t promised them safety, only answers. All signs pointed that he should turn around, forget that crown, and go home. 

And, yet, Jacob found himself unable to. Around him, his friends’ and their confidence made him feel brave. He wanted to discover this with them – because of them. He wanted to be by their side through all of it whether it went good or bad. He was stuck with these people; he’d only met them a few weeks ago and yet he knew it. These people were a part of his life just as much as his family was – maybe even more so.

Jacob glanced up at Jenkins and nodded. Jenkins nodded back and slowly his hand began to turn the knob. He opened the door, and Jacob was met with the same room as before except now things were in different places and instead of Bunsen burners and beakers there were metal stands with different sorts of eggs sat atop them. One was the size of Ezekiel’s head.

“This is my-,” Jenkins started.

“Laboratory?!” Cassandra asked excitedly. She bounded up to an egg about half the size of her head. It was dark green speckled with purple spots. Cassandra peered at it in immense interest. “What are these?”

“Eggs,” Jenkins said, not further elaborating. “Come along. There is a lot to see, but you don’t have much time to see it.”

“Why?” Baird asked sharply. Jacob glanced at her to find her eyes narrowed into slits. “Are we in danger?”

Jenkins glanced at her, grinning slightly. “No, nothing like that. I am just under the impression that you all might have homework you need to complete. I am not going to let magic be the downfall of your grades.”

Jenkins led them to a door that was on the far side of his office. It was beautifully hand carved out of strong, shiny wood. His hand rested upon the golden knob of it, and he pushed outward…

…to reveal a stone hallway. Jacob couldn’t help but be disappointed. Jenkins caught the look on his face and chuckled. “Now, Mr. Stone, we can’t expect everything to be magnificent. That would take away from the wonder of the things that are. Mr. Carsen, why don’t you lead us to the left?”

“Me?” Flynn asked, taken away from where he had been studying an egg that had started vibrating as soon as he’d gotten within three feet of it. “Why me?”

Jenkins sighed, sounding very put-upon. “Mr. Carsen, we will not get anywhere fast if you keep asking questions. Just lead the way.”

Flynn glanced at his friends, shrugged, and then walked over to the door. He peeked out a little, looking both ways, before he stepped out and went to his left. Jacob sped up to walk just behind him with Baird joining him on Flynn’s other side. Cassandra and Ezekiel walked behind them together. Jenkins brought up the rear, amused smile on his face.

They continued walking until they came upon two glass doors. They had wooden frames, but the glass part was the more interesting section. On it were two very intricate designs of swords, pointing downwards. Flynn reached out his hand, brushing the tips of his fingers against the hilt of one of the glass swords. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes bright, and asked, “May I?”

Jenkins nodded, and Flynn’s hand wrapped around the knob. He pushed open the door, looked around for a second, and then violently fell back into Jacob and Baird’s arms. At his throat was a floating pocket knife. It had a golden handle bound in leather. It was shaking violently only inches from Flynn’s Adam’s apple. 

“Uh, Jenkins!” Flynn squeaked. In his arms, Jacob could feel him start to tremble a little bit. 

Jenkins came forward and shooed the pocket knife away. Jacob’ eyes widened when he heard it yip – much like a puppy – and then growl pitifully, floating sadly away. Jenkins sighed and rolled his eyes at the knife. “My apologies. That’s just a…side project that I have been working on. It is nothing you need to concern yourselves with; it just fancies itself as a guard dog of sorts.”

“Oh, right, okay,” Flynn said as Jacob and Baird got him back steadied on his feet. He nodded, rubbing at his neck nervously. “That makes perfect sense.”

It was then that Jacob got a view of the room that stood before them. It was large with two stories to it. The bottom consisted of a large open space only occupied by a long table covered in papers and books, a few desks, and then at least ten tall bookcases, each filled to the brim. Up a curved staircase pressed against a wall, the second story was filled with even more bookcases. Jacob could see books and more papers nearly falling out of them and got the ridiculous urge to just hide up there until he had read and finished every one of them. 

Jenkins stepped into the room, gesturing with a grand sweep of his hand. “This,” he said, “is the Annex.”

“Why is it called that?” Cassandra asked, stepping into the room. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was falling open. Jacob could’ve sworn she had tears in her eyes, and, honestly, he couldn’t blame her. The room alone was beautiful, but just thinking of all the secrets and wonders it held made him feel giddy.

“This is only a part of what you will someday see,” Jenkins said. 

“You mean there’s more?” Flynn asked, excited. 

Jenkins nodded. “There was a right way, wasn’t there? You will see that direction…someday, but not today.”

“Why?” Ezekiel said, sneering a little bit. “Is it forbidden or something?”

“Yes,” Jenkins said, his voice grave. “That area is strictly off-limits. I know teenagers don’t enjoy hearing those words, but I’m afraid you must respect it. If you go down that way before you are ready, you will be faced by much more than a yapping pocket knife.”

“But we’re allowed to come down here?” Cassandra asked hopefully.

Jenkins nodded to her, his smile returning. “Yes, of course. Any time even if I’m not here.” He glanced at Flynn and Jacob. “As long as you’re not working, that is.”

“Right,” Flynn said sheepishly, “of course. We’d never skip work just to come down here.”

“I would,” Ezekiel said, snorting. He had picked up a spherical wooden ball.

“Hand that here, Mr. Jones,” Jenkins said. Ezekiel, shrugging, tossed it to him. Jenkins caught it and swiftly threw it back in the air, straight above him. Jacob watched, eyes wide, as it exploded into a 3-D map of Earth. He frowned as he noticed strange, pulsating blue lines crisscrossing all over it.

“What’re those?” Jacob asked, pointing to the line nearest to him.

“A good question, Mr. Stone,” Jenkins said. He leant back against the desk he was standing next to. Next to Jacob, Ezekiel hopped up on the center table, and Baird pressed herself against the wall, looking at the slowly-spinning globe in interest. “Those are ley lines, and they are the things your principal, Dulaque, is trying to bring back.”

“Where have they gone?” Cassandra asked. 

Jenkins looked almost a little startled at this question as if it were one he was unsure of the answer of. He hummed for a few short seconds before saying, “They’ve not necessarily gone anywhere. I guess the best word to use for it would be ‘fade.’ They’re there, yes, but they are unusable; very much unlike the old days.”

“What happened in the old days?” Baird asked. “Why’d they originally fade?”

Jenkins, again, seemed to find difficulty in answering the question. Eventually he said, “Disuse, I suppose. Magic that is powerful enough to tap into ley lines was discontinued long ago. It was proven too dangerous. People who weren’t aware of magic feared it. Because of these fears they developed tools of war. They killed off witches and warlocks. They destroyed villages because of someone claiming they saw someone else with magic. Even today, guns and tanks can do a lot more damage than a silly enchantment.”

“Then why won’t anyone stop Dulaque that way?” Ezekiel asked. “If magic is so susceptible to our modern technology, why don’t we just call the police and have them bring him in?”

“You realize how stupid that question is, right?” Flynn asked. Ezekiel glared at him, and Flynn quickly added, “I mean, who’s gonna believe us? Maybe we feared and respected magic back then, but now it’s gotten to a point where to anybody but us right now, it’s not even real. It’s this fake thing that guys with top hats do at birthday parties. No one’s going to believe us if we tell them our principal is trying to bring back the real magic. And, if they do, they’re gonna think we’re explaining the plot of some really stupid kid’s TV show.”

“Like, y’know,” Jacob said, a little quietly. “What you guys thought of us when we told you.”

The others nodded a bit sheepishly, and Jenkins added, “And, as is, Dulaque poses no real threat. He can perform a little magic, yes, but the real danger lies in what the future holds. Calling the police on him would be like calling the police on a man who possesses a gun. There’s no absolute saying that he’s going to shoot it or not and if he does, who’s to say anybody will get hurt? He can’t be arrested any more than Dulaque could be.”

“What can we do to stop him?” Cassandra asked. She was still looking up at the globe, her eyes tracing the blue lines. “I mean, we said it earlier, we’re just a bunch of kids.”

“True,” Jenkins said, nodding, “but you’re a bunch of talented, smart kids. So I want you to think of a solution. What do you think our first step should be?”

They stood there for a few minutes, all thinking up different ideas and then throwing them away immediately. It was Flynn who eventually said, “We find it first.”

“Find what first?” Ezekiel asked, face scrunching up at Flynn as if he were stupid.

“They said they were looking for something, right Jacob?” Flynn pointed at Jacob, and he swiftly nodded, easily remembering the conversation Dulaque and Lamia had been having. 

“He said that without the sword the ley lines cannot be open,” Jacob said. He glanced at Jenkins. “We need to figure out what sword it would be, where it would be, and find it before they do…right?”

Jenkins nodded. “It sounds like a plan to me.”

“Yeah, and how do you suppose we do that?” Ezekiel asked, sounding doubtful.

At that, Jenkins chuckled. With a wide sweep of his arm, he gestured to the many bookshelves that stood around and above them. “I suggest you start reading. The section on mythical swords is upstairs, maps of New York are back in the corner over there, and the maps consisting of secret locations within New York can be found on the shelves by Miss Baird over there.”

“I hate homework,” Ezekiel groaned, but he began walking up the stairs anyways. Flynn, excitedly, ran over to Baird and began sorting through the old, discolored papers on the shelf that stood next to her.

“Where can I find a book that gives a more in-depth definition of ley lines?” Cassandra asked, and Jenkins pointed her in the right direction. 

“Is there anything we can use to help protect us?” Baird asked, stepping forward. 

“There are books on the study of martial arts upstairs, if you feel so inclined,” Jenkins told her. She nodded briskly to him and set off up the stairs. Before she disappeared beyond them, Jacob caught the small, excited smile on her face. Jenkins then looked to him, eyebrow raising. “And what about you, Mr. Stone?”

“Uh,” Jacob said, looking around the small space cramped with all sorts of knowledge. He felt a little overwhelmed. “I suppose I can look at the maps of New York…maybe I’ll be able to stop getting lost as an added bonus.”

Jenkins grinned at that and walked over to him. He nodded his head in the direction where the maps were at. “Come along, I’ll help you.”   
~~~  
It was three hours later, and Jacob finally took the time to check his phone. He felt his heart flutter erratically when he noticed ten missed calls from his mom and four from his dad. In a small voice, he said, “Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” Ezekiel asked. He was sat up on the middle table again reading about mythical swords. The pocket knife was floating around his shoulders, peeking at the book and occasionally stabbing jealously at ones that looked much bigger and better than it.

“I gotta get home,” Jacob said. He pocketed his phone and strode quickly to the doors that led into the stone hallway.

“Whoa, Jacob, wait,” Flynn, who was closest to the doors and still at the shelves with the secret location maps, said, reaching out and grabbing Jacob on the arm to stop him. “Slow down, dude, it’s okay.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jacob said, and he barely even registered how shaky his voice was. “I know. It’s cool. I just gotta go, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Flynn looked concerned, and if Jacob had turned around, he would’ve seen that the others were too. Even Jenkins, who was standing at a tall desk, was frowning and it wasn’t in an annoyed way. Eventually Flynn nodded and released his arm. “Yeah…okay. See you, buddy.”

“Bye, Jacob!” Cassandra called. 

“See you, Stone,” Baird said.

“Don’t get lost,” Ezekiel added, a cheeky grin heard in his voice.

Unfortunately, Jacob heard none of this past the roaring in his ears. He walked past Flynn, through the doors, closed them behind him, and then sprinted through the halls, the only thing on his mind being the angry face of his father that he was sure to encounter as soon as he got home.  
~~~  
When Jacob reached his family’s apartment door, he was panting heavily. He had sprinted the entire way home, not wanting to be any later than he was. As he reached the door, he dug his hands through his pocket and then realized he didn’t have his keys. He muttered obscenities to himself as he checked each pocket but every one of them turned up empty. He’d probably dropped them in the street or something. 

Sighing to himself, he reached up and knocked on the door. He waited a few minutes until it was yanked open and then found his brother. Nathan was only older than Jacob by a few years, but while Jacob got good grades, Nathan got football scholarships. Neither of them were jealous of the other, and they even helped each other out when the need arose. Jacob had helped Nathan with his homework, and Nathan had taught Jacob how to tackle somebody. Their system as brothers worked; they just both wished their parents could see that.

“Pissed,” Nathan quickly informed him. He was slouched against the door, arm protectively wrapped around his stomach. “And drunk.”

“I’m sorry,” Jacob said softly, peering over Nathan’s shoulders and into the apartment. He could see his mom in the kitchen. She had a cheerful smile on her face as she washed the dishes, but even from his distance Jacob could see the shadows that haunted her eyes.

“You got a place you can go?” Nathan whispered. He met Jacob’s eyes and said, “It’d be for the best. He’d get more pissed off, yeah, but if you come in the morning, he’ll be too hungover to really care that much.”

Jacob thought of Flynn, Baird, Cassandra, and Ezekiel. He thought of showing up to any one of their place’s, explaining why he was there, and getting them involved. He knew it wasn’t an option. His friends all had their own family issues that they took care of by themselves, and Jacob wouldn’t let his be any different.

He shook his head. “It’ll be fine. Nothin’ I’m not used to.”

Nathan looked at him as if his heart ached, but he knew better than anybody that his brother wasn’t going to back down. He shook his head slightly, stepped to the side, and let Jacob in. 

The Stone’s door was closed, but that didn’t mean nobody could figure out what went on behind it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So magic is real, Jenkins is secretly nice, and Jacob lives in a horrible home? What else is new, right?
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this little reveal of the Annex :)


	6. Complex People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob tries his hand at snooping but discovers something different from Dulaque's plans of world domination.

When Jacob showed up to school the next day, he had a bruise on his face that he’d been unable to hide. The others, of course, had instantly asked him about it, and he’d told them some bullshit story about running into a door. Only Eve pressed him more about it, telling him if it had been Peter and his lackeys, he had nothing to be embarrassed about; she would take care of them for him. He’d told her it wasn’t them at all, just his dumb clumsiness, and the subject had been dropped.

It was funny. After being so honest to these four for so long, it was still so easy to make up those kind of lies. His experiences in Oklahoma made him sure that the ‘ran into a door’ excuse wouldn’t last for long though, but he had a whole slew of cover-ups after years of avoiding questions from his teachers.

When Jacob got into PE that day, he changed into the Dulaque’s stupid PE uniform and joined Ezekiel in the gym. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “What’re we doin’, man?”

Ezekiel shrugged. “Not really sure. Looks like dodgeball.” He nodded his head towards the center of the gym where some rubber balls were lined up in a neat row. 

Jacob frowned. “Isn’t dodgeball, like, banned?”

Ezekiel smirked at that. “When has Dulaque’s ever followed the state regulations, Stone?”

Jacob’s frown grew deeper at that, but he was unable to say anything as a senior gathered them all around and told them they were picking teams. Jacob was, of course, one of the last people picked and, unfortunately, he was on the opposite team from Ezekiel. When he met the other boy’s eyes from across the gym, Ezekiel shrugged sympathetically at him.

Jacob only lasted two minutes. As soon as the game was started, a burly-looking sophomore had grabbed a ball and wailed it at Jacob. It had hit him square in the nose, knocking him down on his butt. The side of his face that his bruise rested on was pounding in pain. He cursed to himself quietly when he felt the telltale sign of blood dribbling its way down his chin.

The senior who’d gathered them up earlier called, “Get up and go to the nurse! You’ll be fine!”

Jacob scrambled to his feet, ducking to avoid another ball thrown his way, and then gave a pitiful wave to Ezekiel who barely even noticed him from where he was lobbing off rubber balls like a dodgeball machine gun. 

Jacob stumbled out of the gym, hand pinching his nose, and made his way to the office. He pushed through the doors with Dulaque’s name on them to find Ms. Fay sitting at her desk, looking as bored as ever. When Jacob walked in, she looked up at him and a frown appeared on her face. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, nurse?” Jacob said, indicating to his nose. 

“She’s not in right now,” Ms. Fay informed him. 

“Oh,” Jacob said. He glanced around, maybe trying to find some tissues he could take with him. “Uh, thanks then.”

He went to turn away and heard Ms. Fay sigh behind him. She said, “If you sit down, I’ll go look for her. Just don’t…bleed on anything, okay?”

Jacob glanced back over at her and nodded quickly. He sat down in one of the uncomfortable chairs that the main office consisted of. As Ms. Fay walked by him to leave, she placed a box of tissues in his lap. He smiled at her gratefully as she walked out of the room.

Jacob pulled out a few of the tissues and pressed them against his nose. He wasn’t really bleeding much anymore; he’d never been the type to bleed a whole lot anyway. When Jacob was done with the few tissues he’d used, he got up and wandered over to the trashcan to throw them away. It was then that he realized Mr. Dulaque’s door was wide open and he wasn’t inside his room.

Jacob was suddenly struck with the idea of snooping around. On one hand, if he got caught he’d be in a world of trouble and it might even lead Dulaque to the conclusion that Jacob was trying to thwart his plans. But, on the other, it could leave him with some valuable information on Dulaque that could make this whole process of thwarting him so much easier on him and his friends.

Jacob glanced around one last time, peered through the front doors to the office to make sure Ms. Fay was well enough away, and then slipped into Dulaque’s office. Knowing he had to work quickly and carefully, Jacob darted to Dulaque’s desk first. He opened the drawers, careful not to displace anything too obviously as he searched through the papers he found there. Disappointingly, they were just records on the students and not a single one of them contained any information on magic or the likes of it.

Jacob searched around the office some more until he came upon Dulaque’s book shelf. He studied the books carefully, but they were mostly books on school laws and even some history books on Dulaque’s. How many generations before Jacob’s principal had there been, running this prison of a school?

Jacob was about to pull out a leather-bound book with a cracking seam when someone cleared their throat behind him. He dropped the book and spun around, quickly saying, “I wasn’t snooping!”

He was surprised to find Moriarty. The senior stood in the doorway of Dulaque’s office, his arms crossed against his chest. He had an unamused frown on his face. He rose his eyebrows at Jacob’s shout, saying, “Yes, very convincing.”

“What’re you doing here?” Jacob snapped, trying to figure out a way he could push past Moriarty. He wondered if he could even figure out a way of locking the jerk in and leave him to explain a very awkward story to Dulaque at the end of the day.

“I think the better question,” Moriarty drawled, “is what are you doing here?” He then smirked and said, “Oh wait, don’t tell me. It was…not snooping, correct?”

“Look, dude,” Jacob said, stepping closer to the door. He was close enough now that he could see the pathetic amount of stubble on Moriarty’s face and could make the slightly weird discovery that he had green eyes. “Just lemme out of here, okay? I’m not playing games with you.”

“Not so fast,” Moriarty snapped, his arm jumping out and blocking Jacob from exiting all together. His eyes were narrowed, his lips drawn into a sneer. “I’m not letting you leave here until you tell me why you were in here.”

“I’m just trying to figure out our weird principal, okay?” Jacob said quickly. He tried glancing over Moriarty’s shoulder to make sure Ms. Fay wasn’t going to be making an untimely appearance. 

Moriarty’s eyes narrowed even more. “You can’t lie to me, Jacob Stone. I’m not the usual cattle that roam the halls of this godawful school. And I’m not just Peter’s lackey either. I’m much smarter than I look, and much more perceptive. So, I’ll ask again, what were you doing in here?”

Jacob met his eyes and was surprised to find actual, genuine curiosity in them. Maybe Moriarty was thinking of the probably countless times Lamia had tried to convince him of her magical uncle. Maybe he was thinking Lamia wasn’t as silly as she had sounded and that Jacob knew something about it. After all, what other reason would someone have for snooping around Principal Dulaque’s office other than being clinically insane?

Jacob sighed angrily, shaking his head. “You wouldn’t believe me, man. You wouldn’t get it. It’s…stuff for my friends.”

“Friends?” Moriarty asked, voice sharp. “Like Eve?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jacob said, nodding. “You know her? She’s mentioned you a few times…”

Moriarty shrugged, the most casual gesture Jacob had ever seen him give. “My mother is friends with her father. They deemed it appropriate that we meet. She too is very much unlike the imbeciles that go to this school.” He suddenly straightened up, frowning. “But that still doesn’t answer my question. What were you doing in here?”

“Look, Moriarty, I-,” Jacob started.

He was cut off by Ms. Fay’s annoyed voice asking, “What the hell do you two think you’re doing?”

Moriarty spun around, and Jacob looked around him to find Ms. Fay standing by the office doors with the nurse, Ms. Noone. Ms. Fay had a dangerous look on her face, and Jacob actually felt fear coursing through him. He was surprised when Moriarty stepped up and said, “It was my idea.”

Jacob looked at him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Moriarty continued with, “Jacob was complaining that his-.” Moriarty’s eyes darted to Jacob, studying him quickly. “-cheek hurt. I was under the impression that Mr. Dulaque’s office contained a mini refrigerator, and we were on the hunt for it in case it contained any icepacks. I apologize, Ms. Fay, if we overstepped our bounds.”

Ms. Fay eyed him slowly until she eventually said, “It’s…alright, Mr. Moriarty. I know you’re a trustworthy student. Well, you can give up your search; Ms. Noone is here to help Mr. Stone.”

“Right,” Moriarty said, nodding briskly. He stepped to the side, Jacob slid past him and over to the nurse, and Moriarty closed the door to Dulaque’s office behind him. As Ms. Fay sat at her desk and Ms. Noone walked into the nurse’s office, Moriarty met Jacob’s eyes. He mouthed, ‘This isn’t over. I want to talk with you.’

Jacob slowly nodded at him. Moriarty said, aloud, “Ms. Fay, I actually came here to collect a copy of Mr. Kubichek’s roster. He lost it, you see, and is very confused about a boy who slipped into his class today.”

“Of course,” Ms. Fay said. She began to rifle through her desk. When she glanced up and noticed Jacob was still standing there with a confused expression on his face, she said, “Well, go on, Mr. Stone. Ms. Noone doesn’t have all day to see to you annoying brats.”

Jacob nodded swiftly and walked into the nurse’s office. A headache pounded through his skull, but he was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the bruises on his face.  
~~~  
When Jacob stepped out of his seventh hour classroom, he was immediately yanked by the collar of his shirt through the halls of Dulaque’s. He glanced to his side to find Moriarty, bulldog frown on his face. He dragged Jacob along until they reached the gym and then dragged him some more until they reached the equipment closet. With a practiced ease, Moriarty picked the lock to the room and threw Jacob inside. He shut the door behind him and pulled the chord to the light that hung above them.

“I’ve got work, Moriarty,” Jacob said harshly, trying to push past him.

Moriarty rested his hands on Jacob’s chest and pushed him backwards, making him collide with the metal bin that held the basketballs. Moriarty shook his head, saying, “I believe you owe me some answers, Stone.”

“I don’t owe you anything,” Jacob told him, squirming uncomfortably against the pain that swept across his back. It was sore from last night and ramming into a metal bin certainly didn’t help it feel any better.

“You do,” Moriarty corrected him, “because, as I recall it, I saved your ass from Ms. Fay. So…speak!”

“What do you want me to say?!” Jacob shouted. A part of him hoped that, if he were loud enough, someone would investigate and get him out of this quicker. “What do you want to hear from me? Because, I mean, I could tell you the truth, which you wouldn’t believe. Or I could lie to you, which you wouldn’t believe either because you’re apparently the human lie detector. Just, what do you want, man? I can’t-.”

“Is magic real?!” Moriarty’s shout interrupted him. Jacob stopped, head flying up to meet his eyes, shocked. He watched as a blush spread across Moriarty’s cheeks. He then said, in a quieter tone, “Is magic real?”

“I-I don’t,” Jacob stammered. 

Moriarty sighed, his back resting against the door to the closet. His eyes were closed, fists clenched at his side. Jacob could see that one of them still had fading bruises from when Jacob had made him punch a wall those few weeks ago. “Lamia says it is. Peter says it isn’t. My brain says it can’t, but something else says…but why not?” 

His eyes slowly slid open in Jacob’s silence, and they met Jacob’s swiftly. “Because if it is, our principal wants to do something dangerous with it. Lamia wants to help, and I know she’ll coerce Peter into helping too, eventually, whether he believes her or not. I, therefore, will be left with no choice…but if he really is doing something dangerous, and you are trying to stop him, as I expect…I want to know.”

Jacob eventually nodded, and Moriarty sucked in a breath. Jacob watched, surprised, as an excited look passed over his face, but it was quickly replaced with Moriarty’s normal, bland and cold one. He said, “Then he is doing something dangerous?” Jacob, again, nodded slowly. “And you and your lackluster friends are trying to stop him?” Jacob nodded, ignoring the insult to his friends this one time. “Good…good.”

“Why good?” Jacob asked him, and Moriarty seemed surprised that Jacob was finally choosing now to speak. He raised an eyebrow at Jacob, and Jacob sighed, continuing with, “Well, like you said, if Pros-Peter wants to help, then you’ll be dragged into helping too. Why would you want us to stop you? I thought as, you know, the school bully, you’d happily let the world be destroyed…”

Moriarty narrowed his eyes at him. “Come on now, I know you’re not a stupid kid, Stone. We’re all a little more complex than that.” He sighed and turned away, hand on the knob to the door. “Let’s just say, I don’t want to live in a world that is run like this school is. The world is…too good for that, as much as it does annoy me.”

“Then why do you stay with Peter?” Jacob asked, stopping him with the door cracked open. “Why do you treat kids like shit just because he says so? Why’d you take a brick wall to the fist for him?”

Moriarty glanced over his shoulder, and Jacob found a wry smile on his face. He said, “I owe him a debt.” Moriarty turned back around and walked through the door, adding, “Make sure to close the door when you’re done standing there watching me leave with an expression of surprised awe that I’m not actually the worst guy you know on your face.”

Jacob wiped his expression of surprised awe off his face and followed after Moriarty, closing the door behind him. The others were never going to believe this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so...I really do love James Moriarty and he was never going to stay a bad guy in this story...
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the shortness of the chapter; I will try to do better next week. Lemme know your opinions on Moriarty!


	7. These Moments We Share

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas time in the city, and Jacob honestly couldn't be happier.

Jacob loved winter break. One huge plus was no school. He enjoyed the learning and even the homework to an extent, but any day away from Dulaque’s scrutinizing glares and Moriarty’s knowing glances was a day that Jacob could thoroughly enjoy. 

Another huge plus was that Jacob’s parents had decided to go back to Oklahoma for the two weeks off. They’d decided to leave Jacob in New York under Nathan’s care meaning Jacob no longer had to worry about his father when he got home a little later than he was supposed to. Sure, Nathan couldn’t cook a thing to save his life unlike their mother, but Jacob was content with shitty ramen noodles if it meant he could happily read a book on Greek legends without receiving constant questions on why he, a hopeless case, was trying to improve his knowledge.

On Christmas Eve, Jacob woke himself up early, left a note for his brother that he’d be gone all day, and raced out of the apartment and into the streets. The sidewalks were piled with muddy slush and the air was frigid, but Jacob continued his race through the streets, dodging past annoyed New Yorkers that still had to work despite the holidays. 

When Jacob reached the library, he pushed through the doors and relished in the little bell tinkling overhead. Flynn, who was sitting at the front desk, looked up from a book he was reading. He sent Jacob a grin. “Hey, morning.”

“Mornin’,” Jacob said, unable to keep his own smile from consuming his face. “Are the others here yet?”

Flynn nodded, waving a hand towards the back of the library. “Yep, they’re already in the Annex. I was waiting for you. You got your stuff?”

Jacob raised the little bag in his hands. They’d decided to do a little gift exchange the day before Christmas. They’d also pointedly avoided calling it a ‘Secret Santa’ because A: Flynn was mostly Jewish and didn’t celebrate Christmas anyways. And B: Ezekiel didn’t hold any religious creed and informed them all how stupid he thought Christmas was. 

Cassandra, an avid Santa and Christmas supporter, had been slightly disappointed but had been happy enough to compromise the name as long as she was allowed to get someone something because she felt everyone deserved a gift no matter what they celebrated.

“You had Eve, right?” Flynn asked, joining him on the other side of the desk. They walked to the back of the library, quickly located Jenkins’s office (laboratory), and entered the Library. 

Jacob nodded. “Mhm, yeah. I got her that broach she said looked like her mom’s. You remember, in that antique store Cass dragged us to?”

Flynn nodded at that, a small grin on his face. “Yeah, I remember. That’s sweet of you.”

Jacob shrugged. “Well, I mean, for Baird it was either that or a gun, and I don’t have a license for one of those.” He nudged Flynn with his elbow, eyebrows rising when Flynn met his eyes. “You had Ezekiel, right? How’d that go?”

“Ugh,” Flynn muttered, “awful. I had no idea what to get him. Luckily, my grandpa is an avid antique collector. He had this old leather pouch of lock picking tools and let me have it. I know it seems like I’m just giving in to Ezekiel’s bad habits but…it’s the holidays, am I right?”

Jacob snorted. “Sure, man. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Flynn shoved him, but it was gentle and he had a begrudging smile on his face.

When they reached the Annex, Jacob was suddenly struck with the question: How early did Cassandra get there?

The walls were strung with fairy lights of all sorts of colors. The center table was laden with all sorts of food including cookies, bowls of Chex mix, and what appeared to be a large pot of soup that Ezekiel was stooped over, spooning straight from the pot. Off to the side was a Christmas tree and standing next to it was a chanukiah; Cassandra had been very happy to find out that Christmas Eve and the first day of Chanukah landed on the same day that year. Flynn, who had been very aware of how rare that was, had informed her that it was a holiday miracle. Cassandra had almost cried. 

Cassandra noticed them walk in first. She was decked out in a colorful Christmas sweater of a sheep saying, ‘Baaa Humbug.’ She raced over to them and wrapped her arms around Jacob. “You’re here! Merry Christmas Eve!”

Jacob hugged her back gently, muttering, “Uh, yeah, Merry Christmas Eve, Cassie.”

She pulled away from him and tugged him along, saying, “You’ve gotta try these cookies Ezekiel brought! They’re so good!”

Jacob raised an eyebrow to where Ezekiel was still sat by his pot of soup. He smirked and said, “What happened to ‘Christmas is stupid?’” He picked up a cookie in the shape of a snowman and waved it at Ezekiel before taking a bite.

Ezekiel shrugged. “It is, but Cassandra said I had to bring something and the girls wanted to make Christmas cookies.” He snorted. “They still think Santa is real.”

“He is!” Cassandra immediately spat, pointing a warning finger at Ezekiel. Jacob quickly realized that this was an argument they’d already had before and was grateful when Eve stepped up.

“Hey, Stone,” she said, grinning at him. 

“Hey,” Jacob said. He raised the bag in his hands a little bit. “I’ve got your present, if that’s what you were about to ask. I promise, it’s a good one.”

“I trust you,” Eve told him. “I was actually going to ask how the sword search has been going. I’ve been told you and Flynn stayed up until two in the morning last night because you got a lead.”

“Oh, yeah!” Jacob said, feeling excitement bubble up in him. “Flynn, grab the map. Let’s show everybody!”

They spent the rest of the morning pouring over the research everybody had done. Flynn and Jacob were pretty sure they’d pinpointed five possible locations of Dulaque’s infamous sword, Ezekiel was pretty sure he knew which sword it was, and Eve had shown them a strong headlock that she’d learned; Jacob had played as her unwilling volunteer.

After they were done with that, they decided to exchange their gifts. Eve had loved the broach and mentioned her dad might even cry if he saw it, and Ezekiel had immediately pulled out a practice lock that he apparently kept on him and began to fiddle around with his new lock pick set. Eve had, ironically, gotten Jacob as well, and she gave him a book on ancient Mayan art; his fingers were already itching to pour through it a hundred different times. 

Ezekiel had gotten Cassandra and gave her a cute sundress with little roses on it. Jacob knew he must have stolen it, but he didn’t comment on it. Cassandra gave Flynn an old pocket watch that had come from her great-great grandfather, and he’d instantly latched onto it, already setting the time and snapping it open and closed. 

After that they’d all sat around and ate food. Ezekiel told them the story of his first ever encounter with the Mean Grocery Store Man and how he’d attempted to steal an entire turkey and a pillow and failed spectacularly. Eve told them of the time she’d snuck out of the house one night and when she got home, her dad had yelled so loud the neighbors woke up. It wouldn’t have been a funny story until Eve explained that the only reason she’d left was to buy her dad a gift for his birthday and when he realized, he’d nearly gotten emotional (the first time in Eve’s life) and hugged her so hard that she’d nearly cracked a rib.

By the time it was a few hours into the afternoon, the teenagers were just lounging around. Ezekiel was slumped on the stairs, a bowl of soup in his hands. Eve was draped over one of the desks, fiddling with Flynn’s pocket watch. Flynn was tucked into a desk chair, snoring softly in his sleep.

Jacob and Cassandra were sprawled out on the floor next to each other. Jacob was skimming through his new book, dog-earing the pages that looked the most interesting to him. Next to him Cassandra was tapping away on her phone, every once in a while giggling slightly and smiling dopily. After the twentieth giggle-snort, Jacob couldn’t help himself. He leaned over slightly and glanced at her phone, asking, “Who’s Estrella?”

Cassandra yelped slightly and across the room Flynn snorted awake, jumping haphazardly to his feet. When he realized nothing was wrong, he slid back down into the chair and soon enough resumed his snoring. Cassandra, meanwhile, was blushing so hard her face was nearly the color of her hair. She laughed, a nervous little sound, and said, “Uh…a friend?”

“A friend?” Jacob repeated. He grinned at her, scooting closer. “You don’t sound so sure about that.”

“W-Well,” Cassandra stammered, “she is just a friend.”

“You want it to be more than that?” Jacob asked, throwing in a wink for good measure.

Cassandra’s face, surprisingly, got redder. “I-I don’t kn-know, I-.”

Jacob’s laughter cut her off. He smiled at her and said, “Cassie, it’s okay. I’m just teasing you. How do you know her?”

“Oh, well,” Cassandra said, slowly regaining her composure, “she lives upstate. Her mom runs a healing facility type…place, I’m not really sure, and she stays there and helps her out. I met her a couple weeks back. She was visiting the city for the first time, and I bumped into her at a flower shop that was, for some reason, still open in the middle of winter. It was like…best friends at first sight. She’s really sweet and funny and-.”

“Pretty?” Jacob asked, waggling his eyebrows a bit.

Cassandra flushed and elbowed him in the side, but she didn’t deny it. Instead she said, “We exchanged numbers and haven’t stopped texting since. She said she’s gonna make a visit down here again soon.”

“Can we meet her?” Jacob asked excitedly. At her nervous look, he added, “I promise not to tease you in front of her. I just wanna meet her. She sounds cool.”

Cassandra grinned at that. “Yeah, she really is.”

Jacob let Cassandra get back to her texting as he returned to his book. They all stayed in their positions for a few more hours until Eve’s phone beeped. She lifted it up and frowned at it. Flynn, who’d woken up twenty minutes prior, asked, “You okay? Who is it?”

“It’s James,” Eve said. She sat up on the desk, legs swinging over the edge. Ezekiel got up from the stairs and wandered over with Cassandra. Jacob stayed on the floor, frozen in place.

He hadn’t told the others about his encounters with Moriarty yet. He’d wanted to, yeah, but it had never seemed like the right time. Plus, he wasn’t sure Flynn – who loathed the guy – would have a very good reaction to Jacob suddenly being all buddy-buddy with Moriarty. He would’ve told them…eventually. 

“What does it say?” Flynn asked, voice suspicious.

Eve replied, “Not much. It’s just asking…for an information swap?” Her frown grew deeper as Flynn peered over her shoulder to read the message too. “It says he’s got information we’ll want. He says he wants us to prove it?”

“Prove what?” Ezekiel asked. “What in the world is this kid talking about?”

“Magic,” Jacob spoke up, voice nervous. All eyes turned to him, and he swallowed hard, trying to collect his racing thoughts. “Moriarty – he, uh, he knows. About us. About Dulaque. About what we’re doing. I told him magic is real. I guess he wants to see it now.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Flynn said, face scrunching up in confusion, “you told him what?!”

So, slowly, Jacob explained to them Moriarty catching him in Dulaque’s office and then later kidnapping him into the sport’s closet later that same day. He explained that Moriarty had literally saved his butt and that, despite the fact he was a huge jerk, Jacob owed him. He told them how Moriarty wanted to help.

“I don’t trust him,” was Flynn’s immediate comment. “I mean, how can we? He’s probably already working for Dulaque, trying to play with our minds.”

“I dunno,” Eve said, and Flynn squawked indignantly at that.

“I’m with Eve,” Cassandra said, nodding her head. “I think he’s telling the truth.”

“How do you know?” Ezekiel retorted. He would never outright say he agreed with Flynn, but the sentiment was obvious. 

Cassandra shrugged. “I just do.”

“Well,” Eve said, voice a little hard. She was in full leader-mode. “It’s three to two. I say we see what information he has. It says he wants to meet on the first day back to school. We’ll just have to bring something to convince him that magic is real, and he’ll tell us.”

Flynn looked annoyed for a second until a small grin appeared on his face. “Oh, I’ve got just the thing.”

He whistled shrilly and three seconds later the magic, flying pocket knife was soaring down the stairs. It zoomed over Jacob’s head, causing him to yelp, and skidded to a halt at Flynn’s side. It hovered at his shoulder, panting like an adorable puppy. Flynn was grinning manically.

Jacob sighed. “This is not gonna go well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost wasn't able to get this chapter out this weekend but, by golly, I did it! Lemme tell you, it was a little weird trying to get into the Christmas spirit in the middle of March but I hope I did it well. (in case it wasn't obvious, i've officially dated this in 2016 as it was the only way to give cassie her holiday miracle).
> 
> Also, any head-cannons on character's religious beliefs and/or what they celebrate are completely my own and are in no way the 100% truth; please don't feel obligated to choose these as your own (as is the beauty of head-cannons).
> 
> Anyways, as always, I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned next week for a sassy Moriarty and a pocket knife that's nearly as crazy as Flynn is!!


	8. Magic and the Other Good Things in Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moriarty meets a knife, and two spies meet a beautiful girl.

So, of course, the day they returned back to school, Jacob was walking through the main hall with Cassandra and Ezekiel when the back of his shirt was lifted up and he was dragged down the halls. Cassandra and Ezekiel, after sharing a quick confused look, raced after Jacob and Moriarty.

Moriarty stopped in the gym again, but this time he didn’t pull Jacob into the equipment closet. He stopped by the bleachers and glanced over in disinterest as Cassandra and Ezekiel pushed through the gym doors and ran up to them, both slightly out of breath. Jacob rubbed at his throat and said, “What, Moriarty?”

“Well,” Moriarty said, and it was then that Jacob noticed the controlled excitement in his eyes. He was pretty sure had it been anybody else, they would have been smiling and jumping up and down. Jacob couldn’t help himself grinning slightly at it. “Where’s your evidence?”

“We don’t have it,” Cassandra told him. Moriarty’s eyes slid over to her and looked her up and down. Cassandra looked a bit uneasy underneath his calculating gaze but quickly said, “Yet. Flynn has it. We can show it to you after school!”

“Yeah,” Ezekiel said, sly smile on his face, “it’ll blow your mind.”

Moriarty glanced at him and his eyebrows raised slightly. A small grin did pull at his lips then, and he tilted his chin down in a small nod. “Oh, I’m sure it will.” His eyes turned back to Jacob, and in a more curt voice he said, “Meet me behind the school directly after our seventh hour. If you show me what you have, I will give you the information that I gathered over this winter break.”

“How do we know you’ll keep your word?” Ezekiel asked, distrust clear in his voice. “How do we know that when we get back there you won’t be there and instead it’ll be Prospero and Lamia and Dulaque?”

Moriarty considered the question for a moment. His eyebrows pressed together and even his cheek twitched a little as he thought. Eventually, he said, “I guess you won’t.” Ezekiel looked a little surprised at that, but before he could say anything, the bell rang overhead. Moriarty’s eyes darted to the ceiling. He nodded to the three juniors and said, “Well, that’s the cue to leave. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

The three watched him as he turned around and left the room. His head was held high and his back was straight. His stride was confident. He didn’t look back at them. 

Jacob snorted. “I told you, guys. He’s a weird kid.”

“He’s gonna make one hell of an adult,” Ezekiel scoffed. He shook his head and turned on the spot, heading towards the door.

Cassandra didn’t say anything. Instead she kept her eyes on the door Moriarty had just walked through, her eyes squinted slightly as she got lost in thought. Jacob nudged her gently with his elbow, saying, “You ready?”

Cassandra nodded. “Yeah…yeah, let’s go.”  
~~~  
At lunch Ezekiel slapped his tray down on the table. Flynn, who had his nose in a book and a pocket that vibrated suspiciously every once in a while, jumped and stared up at him as if he were crazy. Jacob, who sat down next to Ezekiel, only rolled his eyes and took a bite of his sandwich. 

When Ezekiel still didn’t sit down, Eve finally sighed and asked, “Yes, Ezekiel?”

“I did some thinking,” Ezekiel proclaimed. 

“You?” Flynn said, voice irritated. “Shocker.”

Ezekiel’s eyes narrowed at him, but he continued on with, “I trust, Moriarty.”

Cassandra glanced up at that, smiling slightly, and Flynn’s eyes dated back up as the two of them said at the same time, “You do!?”

“Uh huh,” Ezekiel said, nodding sharply. He finally crawled into the bench and took a giant bite of his taco. Around his mouthful of food, he mumbled, “I do.”

“Why?” Flynn asked, his nose scrunching in distaste. He was officially the last of them to harbor distrust for Moriarty, and Jacob imagined it probably felt pretty isolating. 

“Because of what he said this morning,” Ezekiel explained. “He said, ‘I guess you won’t,’ when I asked him how we would know if we could trust him. Somebody who’s lying wouldn’t say that stuff. They’d deny it or try and make excuses as to why we should trust him. A liar tells you what you want to hear, but someone who’s telling the truth doesn’t need to convince you.”

“You would know, right?” Eve asked, a tiny grin on her face.

Ezekiel nodded. “Exactly.”

“Well, I’m certainly glad you’re with us,” Cassandra said. “It’ll make this afternoon go a lot more smoothly.” 

“Why?” Jacob asked her. “You in a rush to get it over and done with?”

His eyebrows rose as he noticed a blush spread across her cheeks. She shook her head swiftly. “N-no, I’ll just need to get home quickly in order to finish homework. You know how some teachers are on the first day back to school.”

“Right,” Eve said, nodding her head slowly and staring at Cassandra as suspiciously as Jacob was.

“So, wait,” Flynn interrupted the conversation, “are you all saying that you one hundred percent trust James Moriarty?” He pointed an accusing finger at Jacob. “The guy who tried killing you on your first day of school.”

Jacob shrugged. “Hey, he apologized.”

“Did he?” Cassandra asked. 

“Well,” Jacob said, cocking his head to the side in thought, “I consider the fact that he didn’t turn me into Ms. Fay for being in Dulaque’s office as the best version of an apology that I’m ever really going to get from him.”

Flynn sighed. “That’s ridiculous.”

Eve snorted softly next to him, shaking her head. “Just give it up, Flynn. From this point on, we’re going to be working with him.”

“Well,” Flynn muttered and then sighed again. He rested his chin on the table and grumbled, “I’m not going to like him.”

“You don’t have to, sweetie,” Cassandra told him with a small smile. 

“Good,” Flynn mumbled.

“And you all call me ridiculous,” Ezekiel muttered. 

“That’s because you are,” Jacob informed him. 

“Mmhm,” Cassandra hummed, nodding. “Don’t forget it.”

Ezekiel rolled his eyes. “Yeah, how could I?”

Moriarty, magic, and the weight of their mission was forgotten for a while as the little group of friends ate their lunch and poked fun at each other.   
~~~  
After their seventh hour, Ezekiel and Jacob wandered to the back of the school. Eve was already there with Cassandra. Moriarty stood next to them, stiff and awkward. He and Eve were in a tentative conversation, and Jacob was reminded that Moriarty and Eve had apparently already been some semblance of friends before, introduced by their parents. Jacob was curious on why they really didn’t seem to be so anymore, but quickly realized it probably had a lot to do with Moriarty with Prospero and Eve’s heart of gold.

“Is Flynn with you?” Cassandra asked, anxious and bouncing on her toes. 

Ezekiel shook his head. “Nope. It appears he’s running late…as usual.”

He would’ve probably added some other insult when a dagger flew over his shoulder. It pulled up to a stop right at Moriarty’s throat, and Jacob found himself immensely impressed when Moriarty didn’t flinch. Instead, he looked at the pocket knife with wide eyes. A timid grin was slowly pulling at his lips. A slightly trembling hand reached out and poked at the blade. The pocket knife barked at him, and Moriarty’s grin grew into a full-on smile. 

Flynn stepped up to Jacob’s side. His arms were crossed over his chest and an unimpressed look was slapped onto his face. “Is that evidence enough for you?”

“Oh, yes,” Moriarty said, voice low as if worried he would startle the pocket knife. The little dagger had given up trying to freak him out and instead had floated over to Cassandra, who cooed over it and bathed it in incessant compliments. Moriarty’s eyes flashed around the little group and he said, “I very much think it is.”

“Okay,” Eve said, her voice all business. She was leant up against the brick wall of Dulaque’s, her eyes stern and searching. “We were promised information in return.”

“Right, of course,” Moriarty said, clearing his throat and drawing himself up a little. “Well, as I am sure you have already presumed, Lamia successfully ensnared Peter in on this wild goose chase. I’m not sure what his position on magic is thus far, but for now, he’s content in following Lamia around like a lovesick puppy.”

“Gross,” Ezekiel grumbled at Jacob’s side. 

“Peter, therefore, enlisted me in the hunt as well,” Moriarty continued. “Luckily for you all, Dulaque has no clue where this magical sword might be. In fact, Lamia spends most her evenings in pawn shops and antique stores looking for clues and research material. Peter’s job is to get in contact with collectors in New York that his father knows to try and seek out information there. My job is to make sure there are no other people who are aware of this hunt, and, if there are, make sure they aren’t a problem.”

Jacob had to smirk at that. “Heck of a job you’re doing there, pal.”

Moriarty smiled ruefully. “Well, it is the best way to keep you lot hidden in plain sight. As long as I don’t mention anything, none of the others will think of you as suspicious. You’ll be safe from them so long as you keep your own hunt undercover.”

“We weren’t going to go shouting through the streets about it,” Flynn snapped. 

Moriarty glanced at him, disdainful. “I never said you would, did I?” He sighed loudly and looked pointedly at Eve in order to ignore Flynn entirely. “I did find out what sword it is they are looking for though.”

“You did?” Ezekiel perked up at that. He’d been the one searching up the magical swords in the Library, and even though he had a few leads, they all knew that a direct source would be way more beneficial than guesses.

Moriarty nodded. “Are you familiar with Arthurian lore?”

“Oh, like Camelot?” Cassandra asked, voice bright. “Lancelot and Merlin and Arthur and them all?”

“Well, yes,” Moriarty said, nodding to her. “The sword Dulaque is looking for is King Arthur’s: Excalibur.”

At Cassandra’s side, the pocket knife suddenly went wild. It started zooming around their heads, yipping and shaking its hilt like a puppy-dog’s tail. It finally rested over Flynn’s head with its blade pointed heroically towards the sky. Ezekiel snorted at it. “Well, somebody’s got a crush.”

Flynn swatted the knife away from him like he was trying to wave away an annoying gnat. He sighed. “While it’s all very well and good that we know what sword it is, I don’t see how this helps in our search. None of the information you’ve given us has helped us narrow down a location for the sword at all.”

Moriarty’s eyes flashed at that, annoyance clear in the way his upper lip curled slightly. “Well, that’s the best I can give you. Like I said, Dulaque is lost. He isn’t sure where the sword is either. I will gladly give you more information as I come across it, but as of right now, this is the best I can do for you.”

“And we appreciate it,” Jacob said quickly before Flynn could intervene again. Moriarty’s eyes flashed to him quickly, and Jacob was relieved to see the fire die out in them a little. He tried to give Moriarty a reassuring smile. “Really, man, I mean it. We’d be pretty damn lost if it weren’t for you. We owe you one, big time.”

“Well,” Moriarty said, as if for the first time he was unsure on what to say, “I’ll do my best to keep the information coming.” He tried to give them all a friendly smile. “As long as you continue supplying interesting artifacts that I can meet.”

“Deal,” Cassandra told him, flashing him a gigantic grin. 

Moriarty nodded to her, said a swift goodbye, and then left with his eyes lingering on the flying pocket knife a little while longer. After he was gone, Flynn muttered something about returning the dagger to the Library before he wandered off too. Ezekiel left with a quick, “See you, losers” and then it was just Cassandra, Eve, and Jacob.

“Well, I should be going,” Cassandra said, pointing an awkward thumb over her shoulder.

“Right,” Eve said, slowly nodding her head. “The homework….right?”

“Right!” Cassandra yelped, a little too enthusiastic. “The homework, right!” She bit her lip before quickly saying, “Well, see you later guys!”

She spun around on her heal and darted quickly away from them, not looking back. Once she’d turned the cornered, Jacob turned to Eve. “What’s goin’ on with her?”

Eve was still looking at the corner Cassandra had just turned past. Her face was clouded with thought as she said, “I’m not sure.” Her eyes brightened, and she glanced at Jacob. “Wanna help me in a little stake-out mission?”

Jacob flashed a toothy grin at her. “Oh, totally.”  
~~~  
Jacob and Eve followed Cassandra until she stopped at a coffee house. They snuck in not too long after her and ducked in line, making sure to hide behind a buff guy and his equally as buff partner. They peaked over their shoulders every once in a while to watch for suspicious activity, but Cassandra only ordered her drink, received it, and tucked herself away in a corner of the café.

Jacob and Eve sat a few tables away from her. At first, the idea had seemed fun. Cassandra was an absolute sweetheart and as innocent as they came so getting some potential dirt on her had been a tempting thought. Now though they were just sipping at coffee of their own and slowly dying of their boredom. 

Jacob was about to suggest they leave when a girl walked up to Cassandra. She was absolutely beautiful with a well-shaped face and lovely, soft-looking hair. She had a soft smile on her face as she approached Cassandra, and when she was close enough, she bent down and pressed a sweet kiss against Cassandra’s cheek.

Jacob, who had been sitting next to Eve in a booth, had to refrain from shouting out. Instead, he slapped Eve hard on the arm to get her attention. He was sure she would’ve been pissed about him hitting her except for the fact she was hitting him too, elbowing him hard in the gut.

“Who is that?” Eve hissed to him. She was ducked down now, back in full spy-mode. 

“I bet it’s Estrella,” Jacob whispered back. At her confused eyebrow raise, Jacob quickly told her about the girl Cassandra had told him about during their Christmas Eve party. As he recounted the story, Eve’s face got more and more excited. When he was done, she said, 

“We gotta go say hi!”

“What?!” Jacob whisper-shouted. “Are you insane? Cassie will kill us if she finds out we’ve been spying on her. Especially because she’s meeting with Estrella. I mean, if she wanted us to know, don’t you think she would’ve told us that Estrella was coming to town?”

Eve shrugged. “Who knows?” 

“We know!” Jacob snapped.

Eve waved this away and said, “Look, Jacob, Cassandra is our friend. We care about her, no?” She didn’t wait for a response and continued with, “Cassandra is meeting with a beautiful girl, and, as her friends, it would be morally unjust to not go over there and tease the heck out of her.”

Jacob looked back at her, unimpressed. “You’ve been hanging around Jones way too much, Baird.”

Eve ignored him and stood up, shouting a, “Cassandra, hey!”

Cassandra glanced up and immediately went red as Estrella glanced over her shoulder to look at them. Eve dragged Jacob out of the booth and over to them. Jacob yanked himself away from her; he was getting pretty damn sick of being dragged all over the place. Plus, the backs of his shirts were taking a pretty heavy hit and were starting to get worn and ripped.

“Oh, Eve,” Cassandra said, her voice squeaky, “and Jacob. Hi!”

“Uh, hi,” Jacob replied sheepishly.

“W-What’re you guys doing here?” Cassandra asked. She glanced nervously between Estrella and her two friends. Estrella, for her part, just had an amused smile on her face as she watched the interaction.

“Just walking the city,” Eve told her. She turned on Estrella, hand extended. “So you must be the homework Cassandra’s planning on ‘doing.’”

Cassandra choked on her drink, and Estrella blushed a little, eyebrows rising. Jacob elbowed Eve in the side and quickly said, “What my verbally impaired partner means is, Cassandra.” He turned to her. “You should’ve told us you were going to meet up with a friend! We could’ve come with you.”

“Oh, well,” Cassandra said, still trying to get her mouth to work properly, “it was kind of a surprise. We weren’t able to spend any of our Christmas break together so this was the, uh, compromise.”

“That’s nice,” Eve said, grinning a little. “I’m just glad this was the kind of ‘compromising situation’ we found you in. If it were the other kind-.”

“Get out,” Cassandra snapped. Her face was as red as her hair and her finger was pointed to the door of the coffee shop. “Out, out, out. You’re acting so weird! Out!”

“But-,” Eve started to protest.

“Out, out, out!” Cassandra said. She got up and began pushing Eve towards the exit.

Jacob took the time to quickly extend his hand to Estrella. He grinned at her. “I’m Jacob. It’s nice to meet you.”

Estrella, bemused, shook his hand. “You as well.” She glanced over to where Eve and Cassandra were almost near the door. She called out, “Nice meeting you!”

Jacob chuckled and left her to follow Baird out of the coffee shop. As he passed Cassandra, he gave her a wink and an eyebrow waggle that earned him a slap on the back of the head that was totally worth it.

When he joined Eve outside, they began to walk side-by-side down the street without a word. Eventually Eve broke their little silence with a hum. “Hm.”

“What?” Jacob asked her, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“I like her,” Eve said, grinning. “I approve.”

Jacob snort. “Are you trying to tell me you acted like that just so you could see how Estrella would react? So you could, what, test if she was good enough for Cassandra?”

Eve grinned at him. “You bet your ass, Stone.” She glanced away and asked, “You wanna go get burgers?”

That had Jacob laughing so hard that he had tears rolling down his face. Eve, next to him, laughed just as hard. 

After they caught their breath, they went and got some burgers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, I promise this'll be the last "here's some fluff and cheese because writing actual plot is hard" chapter for the time being. It's been a bit hectic as I'm taking a very important test this week but after this I promise we'll go straight into the hunt (and i'll stop making dumb excuses)!!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Got a little more Moriarty, a good ol' fashioned Baird and Stone mess around, and some bella Estrella to satisfy all your silly fic needs :)


	9. Sword in the...Fountain?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ezekiel and Flynn have found a lead, but so have some...undesirables.

Jacob arrived at the library that next Saturday morning with a map of New York in his hands and a stocking cap over his head to keep out the cold. Flynn was already there, propped up on the front counter. Ezekiel sat next to him, and their heads were bent together, muttering to each other over a book. Eve was slumped in a chair with a travel mug of what Jacob assumed was coffee clutched in her hand. Cassandra wasn’t there yet.

“Mornin’,” Jacob told them brightly, unzipping his jacket. He set down the map and sat down next to Eve, nudging her a bit with his elbow. “Rise and shine, Baird.”

“Shut up, Stone,” Eve muttered. “I’ve lived with a military father my entire life; I know how to get up early in the morning. Just give me a few more minutes, and I’ll be as awake as ever.”

“Glad to hear it,” Jacob said, grinning at her. He glanced to Ezekiel and Flynn to find them looking at him now. He cocked an eyebrow at them. “You find a single location?”

Ezekiel nodded. “Yeah, we think so.” He flailed a hand in the direction of the table that Jacob had put the map. Jacob rolled his eyes and swiped up the map, bringing it over to Ezekiel. Ezekiel snatched it from him quickly and spread it over his and Flynn’s lap. He pointed to a big expanse of green on the middle of the map.

“Central Park?” Jacob asked. He raised his eyebrows at Ezekiel, obviously unimpressed. 

It was Ezekiel’s turn to roll his eyes as he said, “Yeah, Central Park.”

“More specifically,” Flynn chimed in, “Conservatory Garden.”

“More, more specifically,” Ezekiel piped back up, “Burnett Fountain.”

“And why does that make any sense?” Jacob asked, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. 

Ezekiel narrowed his eyes at him. “Look, mate, if you want me to get into the type of research that Flynn and I have been doing for, like, the past month or two, I will gladly oblige. You see, it started with-.”

Jacob raised his hand to cut him off. “No, dude, it’s fine. I’ll just…take your word for it, okay?”

Ezekiel opened his mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted by the bell chiming over the door as Cassandra walked in. She, like Eve, had a mug of coffee in her hands. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, and she gave them a small smile. “Good morning, everybody! Are we ready to go on some sword hunting?!”

Eve just groaned, but Jacob gave Cassie a huge thumbs up.  
~~~  
The walk to the Conservatory Garden was hell. As it was January, it was still very cold in New York. Gross, nearly black slush lined the sidewalks and streets. Cars that drove past splashed it against their ankles. By the time they’d reached the edge of Central Park, Eve was slowly crushing her (metal) travel mug in her hands and all of them were soaked from their knees down. Even Cassandra, the one who was usually held the brightest personality and optimism, seemed dimmed out.

Luckily for them, Conservatory Garden was only a hundred or so yards from where they’d entered the park. The park itself was relatively empty save for a few tourists who’d decided to try and catch New York as a wintery wonderland and completely missed out and the few New York natives that were still trudging their way to work.

When they reached Conservatory Garden, they’d located a map quickly and trekked to the Burnett Fountain. When they reached the fountain, they found the fountain itself off, but the basin was filled with ice. Jake sighed, walking up to it and pressing his fingers against the cool, thick solid layer of ice. “They couldn’t have emptied it? Why would they let all this ice stay here?”

“They’ve tried,” Ezekiel informed him, laying down the satchel he’d brought with him. He bent down over it and began to sift through it. “But, it always…well, I guess refuses would be the right word? Right, Flynn?”

Flynn, who’d been about to climb into the basin to check the strength of the ice, looked up sharply and nodded quickly. “Yep, that’s right. It’s pretty stubborn.” 

Cassandra leaned over the side of the basin, staring at the ice. She was smiling slightly. “That’s actually kinda cute.”

“You say cute,” Ezekiel said, finally emerging from his bag with a crowbar. “The park officials say annoying. I guess it just kinda depends on perspective.”

“What’re you planning on doin’ with that?” Jacob asked him, frowning. 

Ezekiel stood up with the crowbar. He swung it around in an attempt of looking cool but only accomplished hitting himself in the head with it. He yelped out, and Eve swiped the crowbar away from him, rolling her eyes. Ezekiel, still wincing and rubbing his head, muttered, “It’s to break the ice.”

“Wait,” Cassandra said, pulling her head up from looking at the ice, “you’re saying the sword is in the water?”

“Exactly,” Flynn said brightly. He then paused, frowning. “Well, yes and no. It’s no in this exact fountain; it’s in every fountain! Well, that’s not entirely true either. It’s in most fountains! Well, I mean, I guess that’s not-.”

“It’s in every fountain on a ley line,” Ezekiel interrupted, rolling his eyes. “Which this one happens to be. We’re not sure how it works, but it should…work, that is. Only someone pure of heart can conjure it though.”

“And where are we gonna get someone like that?” Cassandra asked, frowning. Her eyes widened when she noticed everyone staring at her expectantly, and she quickly flushed. “Oh, uh, well I don’t think I can-.”

“Look,” Flynn said, “we’re not actually entirely sure that it’ll work, but we figured that at least one of us could pull it up. I mean, we’re good kids…right?”

“We go to a behavioral correctional school,” Jacob told him, deadpanning. Flynn glanced at him and shrugged.

“Well,” Eve said, “there’s only one way to find out.”

With that she took a mighty swing and cracked the crowbar down on the ice. Flynn, who’d still been standing on the ice, yelped and jumped out of the fountain as Eve proceeded to wail on it. When she’d made a decent sized hole, she stopped and stepped back, grinning from ear to ear. She glanced at Jacob and winked. “See, I told you I only needed a little time.”

“So,” Cassandra started, glancing over the ice hole, “now what do we do?”

They all turned to Ezekiel and Flynn. The two shared a sheepish look and shrugged. Flynn said, “Uh, we’re not entirely sure. Maybe we just…ask for it to come up?”

“We can take turns!” Ezekiel added brightly.

“Oh, okay,” Cassandra murmured. She stood next to the hole and stuck her hand above it. It was shaking slightly, but Cassandra did her best to still it and whispered, “Okay, uh, Excalibur is it? Do you wanna…I don’t know, join us?”

Nothing happened. Nothing happened when Jacob or Ezekiel tried it either. Eve tried it a couple times, barking commands for the sword to appear with military-like ferocity. Still nothing happened. 

Flynn was about to take his own turn, hand held out over the hole, when they heard a loud, “Hey!”

They all turned to find Peter, Lamia, and a sheepish-looking Moriarty racing up to them. Peter had a map in his hands, and Lamia had an ancient-looking book in hers. They pulled up to a stop across from the group, breathing heavily. When Jacob met Moriarty’s eyes, the senior mouthed an, ‘I’m sorry.’

“What do you think you’re doing here?” Lamia asked. Which, to be perfectly fair, was a decent question. They made quite the sight as five teenagers with a crowbar holding their hands over a hole in the ice of a fountain in the middle of Central Park.

“Just enjoying the sights,” Ezekiel informed her cheekily. He tried kicking the crowbar over to the satchel to hide it, but it only scraped horrendously against the sidewalk and drew everybody’s attention to it. “Well…that wasn’t good.”

“You’re looking for the sword too!” Peter immediately accused.

“What sword would that be?” Cassandra asked innocently. She then noticed the very open book on ancient swords that they’d propped up on the fountain. Lamia followed her gaze and smirked sinisterly.

“Well, well, well, I should’ve known you dweebs would be into magic,” she said. She glanced around them menacingly. “Was one of you the person who was spying on me and my uncle last semester? Did you hear about the sword and decide you wanted all that power for yourselves?”

“Well, you see,” Ezekiel started to say.

“She wasn’t actually asking,” Peter snapped at him, slapping his stick against the ground impatiently. He swung it around and pointed it at Jacob, leaving it only a few inches from his chest. “Moriarty, can you please deal with these idiots?”

“Uh,” Moriarty muttered, “yeah…sure.” He stepped forward, holding his fists awkwardly in front of him as he approached Jacob. “Prepare yourself…nerd.”

Jacob cocked his head at Moriarty, but he was saved from some awkwardly fake combat by Flynn’s scream of, “Excalibur! We need your help!”

Nothing happened. 

At least, nothing with the fountain happened. Flynn stared at the hole in dismay but was drawn away from it when, from Ezekiel’s satchel, the pocket knife flew up in the air, growling and yipping angrily. It jumped in front of Jacob, slashing out at Moriarty dangerously. 

“Magic is real,” Peter gasped. Lamia was smirking smugly as Moriarty stumbled backward, looking instantly relieved that he didn’t have to get into a scuffle. 

“Yeah, it is,” Flynn snapped. He stepped away from the fountain and walked over to the knife. He grabbed it and pointed it dangerously at Peter. “Now, I suggest you get out of here. The sword isn’t here. Take that back to Dulaque, tell him he was wrong.”

“Well, you were wrong too,” Lamia pointed out, her lips curling into a sneer.

“Maybe,” Eve said, “but we’re not always going to be. Someday soon, we’re going to find the sword. We’re going to find it, and we’re going to stop your evil plan.”

“And even if you do find it first,” Cassandra relented, “that’s not going to stop us. We won’t rest until you’re stopped.”

“You won’t get away with it,” Ezekiel said with a smirk. “And that’s coming from a guy who gets away with everything.”

“Because we work with the Library now,” Jacob told them. He stepped up next to Flynn, chin held high. “And that means we’ve got logic and reason by our sides. So you don’t stand a chance, no matter what you tell yourselves because we’ve got the most powerful force in the universe standing right behind us ready to fight alongside us.”

“What the hell is the Library?” Peter whispered sharply to Lamia who only shrugged back at him. Moriarty was grinning behind them. He nodded to Jacob with a swift wink.

“Let’s just get out of here,” Moriarty growled, making sure to wipe his smile away when Lamia and Peter looked back at him. “They’ve already proved that the fountain was a dead-end. Dulaque will want to know about this development, and this…Library.”

Lamia pointed a sharp finger at them with her eyes narrowed. “This isn’t over, got it?”

“Can’t wait to finish it,” Eve snapped at her. 

The three reluctantly turned and trudged away. Only when they were completely out of sight did the group deflate. Ezekiel whistled shrilly, shaking his head. “Well, that was close to becoming an all-out brawl.”

Jacob shivered when he realized just how right Ezekiel was. He hadn’t thought about it much since arriving to New York but getting in fights here would be worse than getting in them back in Oklahoma. He’d be screwed if he got caught by the police or something. His dad would probably actually murder him if he had to go back to court again.

He was shaken out of his thoughts with Flynn’s hand slapping on his shoulder. “The Library, huh? I think I like that.”

“Me too!” Cassandra said, grinning sunnily. “We can call ourselves…the Librarians!”

“That’s so stupid,” Ezekiel scoffed, rolling his eyes. He grabbed the crowbar and stuffed it back in his satchel. 

“I gotta agree with Ezekiel on this one,” Eve said, grinning apologetically to Cassandra. “I guess you guys can call yourselves that, but I’ll just be…the Guardian, keeping you nerds safe. How’s that?”

“I like it!” Cassandra exclaimed. “And, sorry Ezekiel, but you’re a Librarian too. We wouldn’t have gotten this far without your research and knowledge. We’d be lost without you!”

“Except it was a dud,” Flynn said, sighing. He walked over to the hole in the ice and peered into it. The pocket knife hovered over his shoulders, seemingly looking down into the water too. When Flynn pulled back, the pocket knife paused for a moment over the hole but eventually followed him when Flynn stepped away. “Well, I guess we should get back to the Library, huh? We’ve gotta start our research all over again.”

“Can we pick up some pastries on the way home?” Cassandra asked, following Eve, Flynn and Ezekiel as they began to walk away. “I saw this really cute-looking bakery on our way over here and…”

Jacob let them walk away for a moment as he stood next to the fountain. For some reason, he found himself feeling that it wasn’t a complete dud despite the fact that nothing had happened. It just…felt like something had happened. He wished he realized what. 

He sighed in disappointment, patted the fountain forlornly, and raced off after his friends.

His fellow Librarians.

He snorted to himself. God, what a stupid name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks so much for reading this! I need to stop delaying writing this until I literally only have two hours left until the weekend's over...Anyhow, I really hope you enjoyed! It's a little shorter, but I finally got some plot smashed in there too.
> 
> OH, and also, if it wasn't clear by now (and I can't see how it couldn't have been) I do not live in New York and, as I live in a farm town in the middle of WhoTheHellCares, Illinois, I've never gotten the ability to go to New York and, subsequently, Central Park. Therefore, any information on areas within Central Park (ie the garden and fountain) was gathered completely through the internet so if it all seems really sketchy and like total guesswork...yeah, it totally was. Hopefully it wasn't too cringe-worthy though :P
> 
> Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful week and, as always, thanks so much for your constant support for this story and me <3


	10. Conflicted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James Moriarty has a lot of thinking to do...

James Moriarty felt conflicted. 

On one hand, he knew he was indebted to Peter. He owed him a favor that could never be repaid. He felt guilty that he was going behind his back, working against him. He didn’t like the uncomfortable squirmy-ness he felt in his stomach every time he talked to Jacob Stone and his weird friends.

But on the other hand, he felt he didn’t have a choice either. He knew Dulaque was not a good person. A few months ago, Lamia would have even agreed with him, but now she was his loyal dog, following his every command. James knew a man like Dulaque could not ‘rule the world,’ but he also knew he was the only one of his friends who thought that way.

He was about to make his way to fifth period when Ms. Fay’s voice crackled above him. “James Moriarty to the Principal’s office please. James Moriarty to the Principal’s office.”

James sighed to himself and turned around tightly, trying to ignore the curious glances thrown his way. Children who went to Dulaque’s were as nosey as soccer moms; they were probably already spreading rumors about what James had done now.

When he reached the office, Ms. Fay waved him into Dulaque’s office with an absent-minded flick of her hand. He nodded politely to her and entered Dulaque’s office warily. 

Peter and Lamia were there too, sitting across from Dulaque’s desk. The principal himself was standing with his back facing them, looking out his windows with a stooped head. As James entered, Dulaque said, “Close the door behind you, James.”

James listened to him and slowly shut the doors. He came up to stand in between Lamia and Peter’s chairs, looping his fingers together behind his back. Dulaque slowly turned towards them. His eyes shone with fury, but when he spoke, his voice was calm and collected. “It has come to my attention that we have a…force working against us.”

James glared at Lamia’s head, inwardly cursing her. They’d all agreed to tell Dulaque about ‘the Librarians’ together. Apparently she’d gone off and told her uncle without them. Even Peter, who was embarrassingly head-over-heels for the girl, glanced at her with startled anger. 

“Now,” Dulaque said sharply, bring James’s attention back to him. “This will not stand, as I am sure you all agree.”

“What do you mean by that, sir?” James quickly asked, feeling his heartbeat pick up. He hated being on both sides of this. He was both part of the problem and the hopeful solution, but he felt like he was getting nowhere with either because he was forced to tear apart everything he’d brought up.

Dulaque’s eyes flew to him sharply. “What I mean, James, is that we must stop them before they get any further.”

“And how do we do that?” Peter asked, excitement rising quickly in his voice. 

“Oh,” Dulaque said, a smile stretching across his face, “you’re all bright kids; I’m very sure you can think of something. I, of course, cannot be involved as I cannot promote violence,” he said this word with added inflection, raising his eyebrows pointedly towards the three, “amongst my students.” He glanced to the clock that hung on his wall and said, “Oh, well, look at the time. I have a meeting I need to partake in. Why don’t you three…wait here for a moment? It won’t take me more than fifteen minutes.” 

As soon as he left, Lamia turned around in her seat to face James. “Well, I’m sure you know what to do, Moriarty.”

James lifted a disinterested eyebrow to her. He was glad he had never been very close with Lamia before all of this; it would have made hating her this much all the more difficult to conceal. “And what would that be?”

“Well,” Peter said, standing up and lifting his chin, “you must fight them. You’re the most experienced fighter out of the three of us. You must distract them by taking down the heart of their motley crew.”

“Yeah,” Lamia said, nodding. She suddenly frowned. “But who would that be?”

“Jacob Stone, of course,” Peter declared. James felt himself stiffen a bit and tried to hide the concern he felt. Peter continued with, “That group had been a bunch of nobodies until that blithering, cowboy idiot showed up in town. He’s the one who must be giving them these idiotic ideas of heroicness and the ‘reward of kindness’ or whatever the hell else their basking in every time they try to stop our plans.”

Lamia nodded, a grin slowly inching across her face. It was moments like these when James could really see her likeness to Dulaque. “Good thinking, Peter.” As Peter tried to conceal his flushed face, Lamia turned to James again. “Hear that? We’ll corner him after school in some alley, okay? Then you have at him.”

“Are you sure this is the best idea?” James quickly asked. When Peter’s eyes narrowed at him, James quickly added, “I mean, he’s a tough kid. Rumor has it he came here from Oklahoma for fighting, and our first day with him was a bit disastrous. All I’m saying is he might be more than I can handle.”

Peter clasped a hand on James’s shoulder. With a small grin, he said, “That’s adorable of you, Moriarty, but I have no doubt you will succeed. If you give it your all, victory will be yours. Plus, we have faith in you, James. We’ll be at your side the entire time.”

“Of course!” Lamia piped in. She reached out and squeezed James’s hand. “I can deal some damage too, don’t forget.”

“I could never,” James said. In a thick voice he said, “Alright…let’s get him, eh?”

Peter clapped him on the shoulder and sat down again, leaning towards Lamia to whisper to her and conceive a plan to get Stone to the right alleyway. James flexed his hands behind his back, desperately wishing to be anywhere else.   
~~~  
It was only twenty minutes after school and James was pacing in the alley that he’d first met Jacob Stone in back in November. Peter had thought it would be poetic to take Jacob there again, and Lamia had agreed entirely. James had agreed for the mere slimmer of hope that Jacob could get away again and run back to his bookstore like last time. 

His hands were curling into fists anxiously at his sides. He was trying to think of a way that he could fight Jacob convincingly enough in a way that he wouldn’t actually hurt him but would convince James’s friends that he had. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to communicate to Jacob at all once he got there, so it was all riding on James to get it right. It made him just a tad bit nervous. 

He was drawn out of his thoughts by thumping boot-steps on the sidewalk just outside the alleyway. He could here Lamia’s jeering and Peter’s (stupid) stick slapping on the ground harshly. James sighed to himself before ducking behind a Dumpster just in time for Jacob to veer into the alleyway and race down it until he hit the dead-end. Just as he was about to turn around again, James stepped out from behind the Dumpster and blocked Jacob’s path with raised fists.

Jacob, out of breath and pink in the face, pinched his eyebrows together in confusion. He opened his mouth to say something when Lamia, skirting into the alleyway as well, shouted, “Get him, Moriarty! Show him not to mess with us ever again!”

Realization quickly dawned on Jacob’s face. He quickly stiffened and took a few steps back until his back hit the brick wall behind him. He watched James carefully, eyes darting at his every move. 

James realized he didn’t have a choice. He had to pick, here and now, who he would side with. He could either go through with it or back off quickly. Either way would be cementing him firmly on either side of this messed up game of war. He didn’t want to pick. He was tired of living two lives. 

He slowly lowered his fists, looking helplessly at Jacob. He was about to take a step towards him, apologize and figure out a way to leave, when Peter shouted, “What the hell are you doing, Moriarty?! I swear, if you’re backing out, I’ll take it all back! I’ll take away every part of you that makes you who you are! Beat up the kid and get it over with!”

James stiffened, and he noticed Jacob’s face fall back into confusion. He slowly glanced over his shoulder to find Peter watching him closely, face pulled into a sneer. He knew he’d won. He had Moriarty tied to a leash that could never be broken, at least not anytime soon. He could make James’s life a living hell on earth and all he had to do was tell his father that he no longer liked him.  
~~~  
When James was thirteen years old, he met Eve Baird. Eve was a fellow military brat, so they got along quite nicely. James had been staying with Eve and her father when he’d received the news. His parents, both active military members, had gotten involved in a bad situation. They’d been assigned a simple transportation mission when things had gone awry. In under three hours, they’d been captured, brought to an enemy base, and killed as a warning to the government. 

Eve’s father had wanted to take James in but being on active duty, he hardly had time enough for one kid. James was quickly put into the system and passed around from foster home to foster home. 

He’d met Peter when they were fifteen.

He hated him when he first met him, but Peter’s father was rich man in a lavish home on the outskirts of New York City. He’d enjoyed having a room to himself and food whenever he wanted it. 

He had been about to move houses again when Peter, a devious smile on his face, had wandered into his rom while James was packing. “Hello, Moriarty.”

James glanced up at him, frown pulling down at his lips. “What do you want, Peter?”

“I want to strike a deal,” Peter told him. He stepped forward and closed James’s suitcase. James glanced at him but made no move to interrupt him. “I know how badly you want to stay here. This place offers you numerous opportunities to enjoy yourself and live life to the fullest. So I talked to my father and he has agreed to adopt you so long as I want you here. I gave him no definitive answer. I will give him one after this conversation.”

“I thought you didn’t like me,” James accused, quickly trying to figure out Peter’s motive.

Peter waved his hand in annoyance. “I don’t, but I also need some, well, how you might say…backup. As you know, I have been…bullied, in the past. Kids are cruel, to say the least. I have a feeling that this cruelness will never end, so I am enlisting you as my personal body guard.”

“What’s the catch?” James asked suspiciously.

“No catch,” Peter said, shrugging. “You just must listen to me and help me when I require your services. Just know, if you were to go against me and try and attack me, I still hold power over where you go. Your whole life can change as long as I will it.” He stuck out a hand. “Do we have a deal?”

James eyed him slowly. Eventually, he gripped Peter’s hand and nodded. “Yes, I suppose we do.”  
~~~  
“Moriarty!” Peter was screaming, pulling James away from his thoughts. “Do as you are told!” 

James slowly turned to face Jacob again to find apprehension on his face. As much as James liked to think of himself as completely closed off, he knew Jacob could read his decision like an open book. 

James took a shaky breath. His hands balled up at his sides. He took a step forward, head screaming with apologies he was too afraid to voice.

Oh yes, James Moriarty was conflicted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...I'm really, really late. And I'm also really, really sorry. A lot has been goin' on in the whole 'personal life' thing so that's why I'm just absolutely behind on everything. Hopefully a Moriarty chapter can make up for it? I wanted to change the POV up a little bit and even threw in some Moriarty + Peter backstory for you guys! Hopefully that clears up why James would ever hang out with a jerk like Prospero :P
> 
> Anyway, thanks for all the support as always! I hope to be getting back on the regular schedule from now on!! 
> 
> (ps sorry for any and all grammar/spelling mistakes; i literally wrote this at one am and then immediately posted it bc i did not want to get behind another whole week so...yeeaah)


	11. A Rough Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob spills the beans about Oklahoma and gets a lot more than he expected...

Jacob stumbled into the Library, limping and holding his wrist close to his chest. A bruise, red and about to start purpling, blossomed across his right cheek. 

Moriarty, it turned out, was quite the fighter. He’d used his height and strength to get Jacob down to the ground quickly and from there had proceeded to use his strong legs to kick the absolute shit out of Jacob. When he’d finally grown tired of that, he’d stepped away and looked down at Jacob. With a shaky voice and what looked like tears in his eyes, he said, “That’ll teach you to leave us alone. Give up your mission. It’s in your best interest.”

Jacob had scrambled to his feet and, at a slow and awkward pace, stumbled away from the three all the way back to Jenkin’s library and through that into the Library. 

Flynn noticed him first. He’d been on top of one of the tables, playing catch with the little pocket knife and a strawberry, when Jacob all but fell into the room. He’d cursed loudly and jumped off the table, racing over to Jacob and calling for the others’ help.

When Jacob was patched up, band aids over cuts and cream over bruises, he was set down on one of the tables; his legs hung off of it and his head hung down.

“Okay,” Eve said, obviously trying to sound gentle. It missed the mark by a mile as she only sounded super pissed off. “Can you tell us what happened, Jacob?”

Slowly, Jacob explained what had happened. As he told the story, Flynn got more and more smirky (while still looking worried), and the rest of the group looked embarrassed. They’d all trusted Moriarty to an extent, and now he had completely mashed up that trust and thrown it away like garbage. 

“We’ve got to go find him,” Flynn announced when Jacob was done talking. “He deserves a bit of his own medicine, I think. Because I mean, c’mon, in this day and age who the hell thinks beating up people is fun?”

“You realize how contradictory that entire statement was, right?” Ezekiel asked him, rolling his eyes.

Eve sighed. “It doesn’t matter; he’s right. This is ridiculous. We need to show them that we’re not gonna just roll over and take it. We need to let them know that-.”

“But why did you?” Cassandra’s quiet voice interrupted Eve, and they all glanced at her to find her staring intently at Jacob. She reached out and picked up his hands, studying the knuckles despite the fact there wasn’t a single thing on them. She met Jacob’s eyes again and said, “You didn’t fight back. Why not? I thought you were infamous for your fights back in Oklahoma.”

“Oh, well,” Jacob said, feeling a little squirmy as he tugged his hand away from her. “I just wasn’t feeling up to it…I guess.”

“Convincing,” Ezekiel said sarcastically.

“Look, I don’t care if it’s convincing or not. It’s the truth, okay?” Jacob snapped. The others had surprised looks on their faces at his outburst, so he sighed and forced himself to deflate a little. “Ugh, sorry, I didn’t mean that. The truth is…I can’t be gettin’ into fights here. I mean, who knows what would happen? If they thought sending me away from Oklahoma was the best option the first time, they’re gonna think sending me away from New York is the best option now too. I just…I don’t wanna leave.”

“That won’t happen,” Flynn said quickly, and Jacob frowned at him, confused. Flynn shrugged and added, “If you don’t start the fights, then you’re okay, right? You’re only defending yourself.”

Jacob snorted at that and shook his head. “I was ‘only defending myself’ in Oklahoma too, and we can all see how that turned out.”

“How’d it happen?” Eve asked, her voice soft and curious. Jacob glanced up at her and raised an eyebrow in question, so she added, “I mean, what was the final straw? What made you get into all of those fights? I can tell you don’t exactly thrive off of fighting, so I just – I dunno – how?”

Jacob sighed and glanced around to find all his friends with the same expectant look on their faces. He knew they wouldn’t pry if he told them to screw off, but he also knew that some part of him really wanted them to know. Maybe it’d help them understand some of his weird decisions. “Fine, I’ll tell you, but no questions until the end, okay? You might wanna sit down; it’s a bit of a long story. It started with a boy named Matthew…”  
~~~  
Jacob met Matthew in eighth grade. He was older than Jacob and, like everyone else in their class, wouldn’t bother giving Jacob the time of day. 

Jacob wasn’t very well-liked among his peers. They always saw his good grades and good relationships with the teachers as bragging and showing off. They’d tease him and call him names. The only friend he really had was his older brother Nathan, and he didn’t get to see him until he got home each night.

The bullying didn’t get physical until Matthew.

In their sophomore year of high school, Jacob had his first conversation with Matthew. They had been assigned as lab partners for a huge project in their biology class, and Matthew, unfortunately, had been stuck with Jacob. He’d made his displeasure clear after slamming his books down next to Jacob’s with a warning of, “Don’t talk to me. I actually have respect in this school, and I don’t wanna lose it because of you, ya hear me?”

Jacob had only nodded and quietly worked on the project. 

Matthew had warmed up to him, bit by bit. He learned that, unlike most the kids in their school, Matthew was actually pretty smart. He held high honors in all of his classes, and, like Jacob, received a little teasing every now and then when kids heard wind of how well he’d done on a string of tests.

The only difference they had was that Matthew was in football. Much to his dad’s displeasure, Jacob had refused to do football. He didn’t want to join a team full of kids that hated him, so he, along with his mother’s support, had decided not to join the team. Every once in a while he would regret it so much that his chest ached. He reasoned that if he had, maybe he’d actually have some people at his side that he could call friends.

Matthew certainly had some friends, and Jacob got to meet them after a week of the biology project. 

They’d pulled him behind the school, warned him that if he didn’t leave Matthew alone it would be a hell of a lot worse, and jostled him around a bit. He’d gone home with a sore back, but nothing worse than that.

He, of course, had no choice but to continue talking with Matthew as their project was nowhere near done. So the football players hadn’t left him alone either. 

Eventually, Jacob had started to fight back. It wasn’t much; he’d throw a punch or two back just to get them to lay off a certain tender spot on his body. He knew he should probably do more, but he was afraid of what would happen if he actually hurt somebody. He didn’t want to get in trouble, and while he knew his dad would be proud of him for sticking up for himself, the school administration definitely would not be.

The day Jacob sealed his fate for New York was a day that he didn’t get pulled back behind the school. He’d been tense all afternoon, waiting for the inevitable “Hey Stone, I got something to show you. Join me back behind the Dumpsters, okay?” but it never came, and it really confused him.

Still, he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth and had quickly started trekking home. He’d been stopped when he’d heard a pained shout coming from underneath the football field bleachers. He had considered walking on, ignoring it, and going home. But, really, he’d only considered it for a second before he was racing under the bleachers.

Underneath them were a few football players and Matthew. They hadn’t noticed Jacob charge in, so when he was close enough, he was able to hear one of them say, “You know what, Matt? We’re startin’ to think you like that little shit. So maybe if we can’t get him to leave you alone, we’ll hafta teach you the lesson instead.”

Matthew had tried protesting, but he’d been cut off when a fist was sent into his stomach. He’d choked off his words and fell to the ground, blubbering nonsense as the teens around him started kicking him harshly.

Jacob felt his blood boil beneath his skin. He had grown not to care when these assholes messed with him, but now they were hurting someone who he’d grown to like because of him. It was unacceptable, and he felt guilt swirling through him. As stupid as he knew it was, he had to fix this. He had to make it right.

The first punch he’d delivered to the back of a kid’s head had sent him crumpling to the ground. 

An hour later, an administrator had found Jacob, blood spilling down his face from a cut above his eye, curled up in a ball surrounded by two unconscious kids. One was the boy he’d knocked out and the other was Matthew, breathing raggedly from the kicks to the chest he’d received. 

A month later Jacob was sentenced to New York, and his family all but stopped talking to him.  
~~~  
Jacob stopped himself, voice growing shaky. The palms of his hands were sweaty, and he desperately wished he were on ground level so he could tap his feet against the ground if only to keep himself distracted. His friends’ faces were unreadable, and they stayed quiet, each of them processing the story as quickly as they could.

Eventually, it was Ezekiel who broke the silence. He groaned and slumped in his chair, shaking his head and shouting, “Why am I not surprised?! I finally, for once, think we’ve actually gotten a kid to Dulaque’s who’s rotten to the core, and it turns out that the only reason he’s here is because he saved another kid’s ass. Why did you do this to me, Stone? How could you break my heart like that, man?”

“I-what?” Jacob stammered, confusion racing through him. “I-I don’t understand. You’re not mad?”

“Mad?” Cassandra said, frowning a little. “Why would we be mad?”

“I-I did some pretty shitty stuff,” Jacob explained. “I knocked a kid unconscious, I-.”

“Yeah,” Flynn interrupted, “to help the other kid that that kid had previously knocked unconscious.” Jacob frowned at him, so Flynn added, “We’re not mad at you, Jacob. In fact, I dunno about the others, but I’m actually a little bit proud of you, even if I didn’t know you back then.”

“B-But I still don’t get it,” Jacob insisted. He sighed and shook his head a little. “I mean, how can you guys be so forgiving? Even my own family still hasn’t gotten over it.”

Ezekiel shrugged, his sullen mood gone. “I think you’re forgetting something, mate. We all go to Dulaque’s too. I know I’ve done some things I’m not proud of, but I’ve learned because of it. Now I don’t steal things as obviously; now you don’t fight kids anymore. It’s all about the learning experience.”

“Look, Jacob,” Eve said, bringing his attention to her, “we’re not going to judge you on what you did in your past, even if there really isn’t something to judge you on. You did what was necessary, end of story. But what we are going to do is judge you on your present. And present you is kind-hearted, fair, smart, and brave. I mean, come on, indulge me; you still trust James, don’t you?”

“What? I don’t see how that’s important-,” Jacob started to say.

“You do,” Cassandra interrupted him quietly, a little awed. “After all that he did to you today, you still trust him?”

Jacob met her eyes and deflated quickly. “I…I think so. It’s just – you guys didn’t see his face. He was almost crying. He didn’t want to do any of it. I think…I still trust him.”

“Exactly,” Eve said, “which means you are nothing like the hostile, unhinged kid that you think you are. So, yeah, maybe your family didn’t have your back in Oklahoma, but we do, okay?”

Jacob nodded slowly. “Yeah…yeah, okay. Thanks guys.”

Flynn reached out a squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks for telling us, man.”

“Even if you did crush our dreams,” Ezekiel said, giving Jacob a playful wink when he met his eyes.

Cassandra grinned and asked, “So now what? What’s our next plan now that we’ve lost our inside connection? I mean, for the time being at least.”

Jacob jumped to his feet, wincing slightly as his leg jarred with pain. He said, “We do what we’ve been doing: find the sword and stop Dulaque. Now all we have to do is add ‘Save Moriarty’ to that list.” He glanced around at the little group and raised an eyebrow. “Any objections?”

No one said a word, and although both Flynn and Ezekiel looked a little unsure about this added objective, they nodded at Jacob reassuringly. Flynn even stood up as well, a little grin on his face. “I think I know the perfect place to start. All this time we’ve been searching blindly for the sword, when we’ve been ignoring one key factor.” 

He brought his fingers up to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. A moment later the flying dagger came swooping through the air towards him and stopped, hovering above his head and panting a little bit.

“We’ve got a magic melee weapon already. Why don’t we just ask it about the sword?” 

The dagger let out happy little yips at this, jumping up and down above Flynn’s hair. It almost looked like it was nodding, and for some reason, it gave Jacob a surge of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! It's been a while, and that's entirely my fault. Unfortunately, the end of the school year has been a living nightmare, but, fortunately, I literally only have a week left and then I'm done...until next year :P But hopefully this'll bring a little insight into the Jacob Stone of this story and help you understand our favorite nerd all the more   
> (also, sorry for the roughness of this chapter. for some reason it took me a little bit to get back into the flow of it. it will hopefully be gone by the next update)  
> As always, thanks for everything guys! And thanks for not giving up on me just quite yet ;)


	12. Meet Cal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dagger can do a lot more than some simple party tricks and sets out to show its Librarians just how special it really is...

They started out by giving the little pocket knife simple commands. They told it to do a flip; it did a flip. The told it to do a figure-eight in the air; it did a figure eight in the air. They got creative and asked it to go grab the ‘Big Book of Atlantis Facts’; it went and grabbed the ‘Big Book of Atlantis Facts.’ When they asked it to go find Excalibur, it didn’t move an inch.

“What’s wrong with it?” Ezekiel asked, frowning. “It can do all that other stuff, but heaven forbid we go ask it to retrieve a magical sword for us.”

“Maybe it doesn’t understand,” Cassandra said, biting her lip a little bit. She jumped up from where she had been sitting and looked around on the big table for a few seconds before she lifted up the book of magical swords that Ezekiel had spent all winter break studying. She walked up to the dagger and held the book open to it on the page with Excalibur. She pointed to the magical sword and said, “This one. Can you find it?”

The knife wobbled, almost as if it were nodding, but then just stood there floating again. 

Jacob groaned in frustration. “This is useless. It obviously doesn’t understand what we want.”

The knife growled at that; it was a pitiful puppy growl, but the sentiment was conveyed nonetheless. With sudden swiftness, the knife stabbed down into the book Cassandra was holding, right on the illustration of Excalibur. Cassandra yelped and nearly dropped the book with the dagger still in it.

“Don’t insult it,” Eve advised, far too late. She sighed though, and her face had a certain tightness to it. She was getting sick of this seemingly dead-end quest just like everybody else. “Maybe it just can’t find it. Maybe it’s impossible.”

The knife, with help from Cassandra, had dislodged itself from the book. It gave itself a rough shake before it suddenly darted out of the room. Flynn, jumping quickly to his feet and laughing like a maniac, shouted, “I think he’s got it!”

They raced after the pocket knife. It darted through the Library and into Jenkins’s library and then out into New York City. After that it led them through countless streets and alleyways. Soon enough the kids were panting and tired, but they raced after the little knife anyway. It led them all the way to a park; it was a very specific park with a very specific fountain.

“It led us to Conservatory Garden?” Ezekiel asked, slumped over himself and breathing hard. “Why the heck would it come here?”

“I’m not sure,” Flynn said, too curious to feel his fatigue. As the others leant against the fountain and some nearby benches, he followed the knife until it stopped suddenly, hovering directly above the hole they’d left the last time they had come here. Flynn frowned. “What are you trying to say?”

“It’s insane,” Jacob decided, holding his chest. “It’s freakin’ insane, and it just wanted to tire us out before it murdered us.”

Flynn glared at him, but he quickly turned his attention back to the dagger. The little thing was practically vibrating, letting out occasional whimpers and murmurs of sound. Flynn reached out for it and wrapped his hand around the hilt of the dagger. 

Then he got pulled underneath the ice into the fountain.

“Shit!” Jacob shouted, getting to his feet as quickly as he could. The others joined him at the edge of the fountain, splashing around in the water and breaking the ice as fast as they could. There was no sign of Flynn or the knife. Jacob was about to jump in after them when, a few feet away, the ice started to crack.

“There!” Eve barked, pointing towards the cracking. She was about to climb onto the fountain when a hand forced itself through the ice.

In the hand was a sword. It was beautiful. The blade was a gleaming silver, and the handle was gold and encrusted with jewels. It seemed to be radiating a weird sort of energy. 

Then Flynn’s head popped up through the ice. He was gasping loudly for breath, and the rest could tell he was shaking badly. Eve scrambled on top of the ice and slid over to him, grabbing his free hand and yanking him from the fountain. She dragged him over to the others where Jacob wrapped his large Carhartt around Flynn’s shaking shoulders.

“Are you okay?” Cassandra asked worriedly.

“Are we just ignoring that?” Ezekiel exclaimed, gesturing wildly to the sword in Flynn’s hands. “Did the dagger summon it?”

Flynn shook his head, water streaming from his hair down his cheeks. “N-No,” he said around chattering teeth, “that is the dagger. It transformed into it.”

Jacob frowned. “Are you tellin’ me that Excalibur was right underneath our noses this whole time, and we didn’t even realize it?”

Eve snorted a little at that, a small smile playing at her lips. “And here I thought I’d grouped up with the smartest kids in school.”

“This is insane,” Cassandra murmured, her hands hovering excitedly over the sword. It seemed immobile now, very much unlike the dagger, but Jacob had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before the annoying creature was back to its former glory. 

“As great as this all is,” Eve said, “we need to get Flynn home and into some warm clothes. Do you think you can manage that, Carsen?”

Flynn nodded. “Y-Yeah, probably. Can someone take Ex-Excali-Excal, screw it, C-Cal back to the Library, please?”

“I got it, mate,” Ezekiel said, wrapping his hands around the hilt of the sword. He picked it up and wobbled slightly at its weight.

Cassandra sighed. “I’ll go with him…just in case.” She glanced worriedly to Eve and Jacob. “Can you guys take care of him?”

Jacob nodded to her. “Yeah, don’t worry. We’ve got him. Text us when you get to the Library, okay?”

Cassandra nodded. “You got it.” She turned to Ezekiel and suppressed another sigh. “Alright, I’ll lead the way just…be careful with that thing, yeah?”

“This is so freakin’ cool,” was Ezekiel’s only response.

Eve shook her head fondly after them before turning to Flynn. “You ready?”

“Walking is g-gonna suck,” Flynn commented. 

Jacob grinned at him. “Don’t worry, dude. I’ve got you covered.”

And with that, he looped his arm under Flynn’s armpits and lugged him to his feet.   
~~~  
Flynn’s grandparents lived in a nice apartment in a good part of the city. Unfortunately for Flynn, they also happened to live on the top floor of the building and the elevator was out of service. When they’d finally reached the apartment number Flynn had mumbled out to them, Flynn patted at himself wildly for his keys before realizing he must’ve lost them in the fountain. Eve just rolled her eyes and knocked.

“Look, if you’re selling anything we’re not – oh, Flynn, there you are.”

The woman who opened the door was short and stout. She had blonde hair that was about the length of her chin, and a stern-looking face. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she had the most unimpressed look that Jacob had ever seen anyone give. 

“H-Hi, Grandma,” Flynn said cheekily. “It’s cold.”

“I’m sure being wet doesn’t help,” Flynn’s grandma said sharply. She quickly deflated and stepped to the side. “Get in here. And introduce me to your friends while you’re at it.”

Flynn sighed and said, as Jacob and Eve guided him in, “Grandma, this is Jacob and Eve. Jacob and Eve, this is my grandma.”

“Feel free to call me Charlene,” she said to them sweetly. Then she slapped Flynn on the back of the head and said, “Your grandfather has been calling you all afternoon, and you know he hates using technology.”

“I guess I’ll add my phone to the long list of stuff I lost in that fountain,” Flynn said forlornly. He stepped away from Jacob and Eve and nodded down a hall. “I’ll go get changed real quick, and we can get out of here.”

He jumped away from his Charlene’s swiping hand again and darted down the hall. 

Charlene huffed after him before turning to Jacob and Eve with a big smile. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you two. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“You have?” Jacob asked, a little surprised. 

Charlene waved her hand in the air like she was swatting a pesky bug. She walked into the kitchen and said, “Oh, yeah, Flynn talks about you kids all the time. You want something to drink?”

“I’m fine, ma’am, thank you,” Jacob assured her quickly.

Eve rolled her eyes at him and said, “We’ll both take a water, Charlene.”

Charlene pointed at her with a grin and said, “Oh, I like you.” She winked at Jacob and added, “The southern hospitality is charming though, I’ll give you that.” 

“Charlene, I tried calling him again but – oh, hello.” 

Jacob spun around to find a short man. He was balding on top of his head, and he was dressed in a tweed suit. He had a kind smile on his face and looked genuinely pleased to see them both even if he hadn’t met either of them before. 

“Hello, sir,” Jacob said, stepping towards him with his hand extended, “it’s nice to meet you.”

“O-Oh,” the man said with a little surprise in his voice. He clutched Jacob’s hand with both of his and gave it a little shake. “It’s nice to meet you too, young man. You must be, ah, Jacob, is that correct?”

Jacob, a little less surprised this time, nodded. “Yes, sir, that’s me.”

“Well,” the man said, still holding Jacob’s hand, “feel free to call me Judson; I’m Flynn’s grandfather.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Judson,” Eve said from behind Jacob, a glass of water in her hands. 

The man grinned at her and released Jacob’s hand to point at her. “And you must be, ah, Eve, right?”

Eve nodded. “That would be me. Sorry about the miscommunication with Flynn. He lost his phone in a fountain.”

Judson frowned in concern at that. “Why would he be in a fountain? In this weather?”

“It’s a…long story,” Jacob said sheepishly.

Charlene barked out a laugh at that, shaking her head. “With our grandson, it usually is.”

Eve and Jacob waited a few more minutes with some polite small talk with Charlene and Judson. Jacob learned that Judson was a college professor at NYU, and Charlene worked as a secretary for the Metropolitan Library. She said her job consisted mostly of running numbers and doing the banking, and while Jacob loathed to even consider a job like that, Charlene seemed practically giddy about it.

Eventually Flynn came back out again with some warmer-looking clothes. His hair, still slightly wet, was a spikey mess. He came into the kitchen, grabbed an apple from a bowl, pressed a kiss to Charlene’s cheek, and said, “Well, we gotta be going. Dinner at seven right?”

Charlene rolled her eyes. “Yes, Flynn. It’s at seven every night, remember?”

Flynn nodded. “Uh-huh, just checking.” He grinned at his grandpa and said, “I’ve got this cool new book from Jenkins’s to show you when I get home. You’re gonna love it.”

Judson smiled at him. “Can’t wait, Flynn.”

Flynn met Jacob and Eve’s eyes and jerked his head towards the door. Jacob and Eve politely said goodbye and followed Flynn out of the apartment as he shouted over his shoulder, “Bye, love you!”

After a few flights of stairs, Flynn asked, “They didn’t embarrass me too much, did they? They have a tendency to overshare when I invite friends over and I’m not around to keep them in check.”

“No,” Jacob quickly told him. “They were…they were actually really cool.”

Flynn shrugged at that, but Jacob could see him slightly preening at the comment. “Yeah, they’re okay.”

“And they’re just okay with you…leaving like that? After coming home in the state you did?” Jacob asked with a little hesitation.

Flynn shrugged again. “I mean, yeah, why wouldn’t they? I’m a teenager; I have a life. They get it.”

“Oh,” Jacob murmured. He grinned slightly. “That’s cool.”

Eve, who had been tapping away at her phone, said, “I’ve just been instructed by Cassandra to pick her up a hot cocoa on our way back to the Library. You guys game for some Starbucks?”

Flynn nodded. “Oh, yeah, definitely. Maybe it’ll get this chill out of my bones.”

The two walked ahead as Jacob fell behind a bit. In his head, he wondered how his parents would’ve reacted if he’d showed up at home like that. He found himself feeling a little queasy at the picture his mind produced. 

He was brought out of his thoughts when a heavy jacket landed on his face.

Jacob pulled the Carhartt off of him to find Flynn grinning guiltily at him. “Sorry but, uh, thanks for the jacket.”

Jacob nodded and pulled it on. “No problem, man.” He took a deep breath and swallowed before grinning and saying, “So…coffee?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am officially back for good! School is over and everything feels great! I was hit with sudden inspiration for this story and I feel really good and comfortable about writing it again! I really hope you enjoyed this little chapter; we've got more plot rolling and a few cameos from our favorite Originals. Thanks so much for the constant support of this story; it's meant the world to me.
> 
> Oh! And to everyone who already guessed that the pocket knife was Cal: You were totally right ;)


	13. A Beginning and an End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle of the Library is beginning as the battle in the Stone apartment draws to a difficult end...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter deals with the topic of child abuse and domestic violence. There are no real graphic depictions of said violence, but I will admit it gets close. I don't claim to be an expert when it comes to this topic, nor do I - thankfully - have very much experience with it. If this is something you cannot read, then please, please don't. Please take care of yourselves. Love you all <3

The next day Jacob had school, it started out normally. He walked to classes with Ezekiel, ate lunch with his friends, and managed to get through his classes without being too distracted with thoughts of magic, magical swords, or the end of the world he knew around him. It was when he was on his way to his fifth hour that it took a turn for the worse.

He shouldn’t have been surprised, really, when Moriarty confronted him in the crowded hall, grabbed the back of his shirt, and tugged him right past his French class and out of the school’s backdoor and brought him to a halt right next to the Dumpsters.

“What do you want, Moriarty?” Jacob asked in a snappish tone, yanking himself out of Moriarty’s grasp. He turned on the tall teenager, trying to make himself appear taller and crossing his arms over his chest. He may want to help Moriarty, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still pissed off at the guy. Plus, as far as he knew, Moriarty was still playing for the other side and had zero intentions of helping them anymore. “If you came here to hit me, just know that-.”

“I’m not here to hit you,” Moriarty said swiftly, his tone low. It was then that Jacob realized just how haggard the senior looked. His hair was a mess on his head, he had bags under his eyes, and even a bit of pathetic stubble had started to show up along his jawline. “I’m here to warn you.”

“Save your breath,” Jacob said, trying to push past Moriarty. Moriarty grunted in frustration, wrapped his arm around Jacob’s chest, and shoved him away from the door. Jacob stumbled a little but held his ground, eyes narrowing. “What the hell is your problem, dude?!”

“They know about the sword!” Moriarty snapped in a whispered tone. “They know you have Excalibur.”

Jacob’s eyebrows raised. “How?”

Moriarty’s hand flipped through the air hurriedly. “The ‘how’ doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they _know_ , and you and your friends are in trouble. They’re going to go after you; they’re going to take it back. I’m sure they already know the location of your Library as well.”

“Okay, noted,” Jacob said, nodding sternly. He tried to walk past Moriarty again and resisted screaming when Moriarty pushed him back once more. “ _What_?!”

“I-,” Moriarty seemed to choke on his words, and he wouldn’t meet Jacob’s eyes. Eventually, he took a deep breath and said quickly, “I’m sorry.”

Jacob’s eyebrows raised even higher. He’d suspected that Moriarty felt guilty about what had happened in the alleyway, but he’d never expected an apology. Moriarty had never really seemed like the apologizing type. “Really?”

“Of course, really,” Moriarty said roughly, rolling his eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest, but the action seemed more protective than anything. He still refused to meet Jacob’s eyes, keeping his own on a fixed point above Jacob’s head. “What happened…I shouldn’t have done it. I-I should’ve stood up to Peter or tried to make the fighting appear fake or-.”

“James,” Jacob interrupted, and Moriarty bit his tongue, wide eyes finally meeting Jacob’s. It was probably the first time that someone outside his friend group or Eve had ever referred to him with his first name. If he was being honest, the name felt weird in his mouth, but Jacob was happy with the results; Moriarty was staring at him now and giving Jacob his full attention. “What happened was shitty, alright?”

Moriarty winced, opening his mouth to protest. “I-.”

“But I forgive you,” Jacob quickly interrupted, forcing Moriarty to snap his mouth shut for a second time. “Just, listen, alright? I may not know what’s goin’ on between you and Peter, but it’s obviously something big. And, whatever it is, it scares you.”

Moriarty, an offended look on his face, opened his mouth again to probably protest, but Jacob continued quickly with, “And that’s okay, man. It’s okay to be scared; human beings are the scariest creatures I know. You said you owe a debt to him, right? Well, if I’m being honest, Peter doesn’t seem like the type of person that someone would be indebted to for heroic reasons. He’s holding somethin’ over your head, and I…I get that.”

Moriarty snorted out a bitter laugh at that, eyes falling and head shaking. “I’m not sure you can. Our situation is…unique.”

“So is mine,” Jacob insisted, and the way Moriarty’s eyes darted back up to him in confusion had a little flare of panic rushing through him. He swallowed it down quickly and said, “Hell, so is everybody’s that goes to this godforsaken school. This place is filled with people who’ve got unique stories and crappy lives, but I refuse to be brought down because of it. Now, I’m gonna fight with my friends for a better future for both this school and, shit, the _world_ , man. We’re gonna work together because it’s what we have to do.”

He stepped past Moriarty, and this time James let him go. Jacob added over his shoulder, “It’s up to you whether you wanna help or not. I get fear, man, I seriously do. But I also know that it’s your decision to try and fight it or to let it consume you all together. If it helps, you’ve got a place with us if you want it.”

“I’m not sure I deserve it.” Moriarty’s voice was quiet and low as if he were revealing a secret he’d kept hidden for years. And, Jacob realized, maybe he had. He’d been Eve’s friend a long time ago; maybe there were more complex reasons why that friendship had ended.

“Maybe you don’t,” Jacob admitted, shrugging even though Moriarty couldn’t see him. He grinned then, putting the smile into the tone of his voice. “But who doesn’t love a good redemption arc, huh?”

As Jacob let the door close behind him, he was pretty sure he heard a quiet, “Thank you.”

~~~

“They know _what_?!” Flynn exclaimed. Excalibur, fully recovered and back to its dog-like self, hovered next to Flynn’s shoulder, whimpering loudly.

“How do you know Moriarty’s information is good?” Ezekiel asked skeptically. “I mean, I know you said you trust the guy, but I still don’t. What if he’s just trying to trick us?”

“He’s not,” Jacob said stonily, eyes narrowed at Ezekiel.

“Yeah, but,” Ezekiel started to retort.

“He’s _not_ ,” Jacob snapped, tone leaving no room for argument. Ezekiel sighed and held his hands up to indicate that he’d back off the clearly sore subject. Jacob sighed and shook out the tension in his shoulders. He glanced around at the group. “So…what’re we gonna do?”

“Well, you said James said that they probably know the location of the Library?” Eve asked, and Jacob nodded in confirmation. “Okay, well that means they know where Excalibur is. They’re going to try and come and get it.”

Excalibur whined, trembling pathetically. Flynn shushed it, raising his hand to pat the sword reassuringly on the hilt.

“So, what?” Cassandra said, tone nervous. She was biting her lip, hands fidgeting in her lap. “What are _we_ supposed to do if they come here?”

“We fight."

The five teenagers turned to see Jenkins walking into the Annex. He had a sword strapped to his side and a stern expression on his face. “Well, I fight. You will protect the Loom of Fate.”

“The Loom of Fate?” Ezekiel questioned, face scrunching up.

“Correct, Mr. Jones,” Jenkins said. He stopped in front of them and said, “What did you think I was doing all of this time? I wasn’t going to sit back and allow you to take care of this problem by yourselves; I looked into your principal and figured out his end goal.”

“Which is…?” Cassandra asked, letting the question trail off.

“Change fate itself,” Jenkins said, voice grave. “Now, I’m not exactly sure why, but I know that is his plan. The exact details don’t matter. What does matter is that you need both Excalibur and King Arthur’s crown in order to open a portal to reach the dimension the Loom resides in.”

“King _Arthur’s_ crown?” Jacob spluttered.

“Its _own_ dimension?” Cassandra asked in an excited tone.

“Well, pocket dimension,” Jenkins clarified for Cassandra. He then nodded to Jacob. “The crown that your principal is in possession of once belonged to the king of Camelot. If you reunite it with Excalibur, you should have enough magical power to open a portal.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Eve said, quickly raising her hand. “If King Arthur’s crown and Excalibur are the things that can open the portal, why don’t we just destroy them?” Excalibur whimpered, and Eve quickly said, “I mean, one of them? Wouldn’t that just solve the problem?”

“I’m afraid it’s not quite that simple, Ms. Baird,” Jenkins said.

Ezekiel rolled his eyes. “It never is.”

“Your principal is quite the determined man,” Jenkins continued. “I am quite sure that even if we were to destroy the crown, he would find any other number of ways to reach the Loom’s dimension. No, it’s best to do it this way.”

“So we get to the Loom’s dimension, and, what, just stay there for the rest of our lives to protect it?” Flynn asked, not sounding too thrilled about the idea.

“Of course not, Mr. Carsen,” Jenkins said in an exasperated tone. “I will take care of things on this end here, and then I will meet you at the Loom when it is done. I need you to trust me on this.”

“How can we when there’s stuff you aren’t telling us?” Jacob asked, voice hard and eyes narrowed at Jenkins. Jenkins turned to him, an eyebrow arched; Jacob couldn’t tell if he was surprised, impressed, or both. “Oh, c’mon, it’s obvious. There’s stuff you know that you won’t tell us.”

“My secrets are my own, Mr. Stone,” Jenkins said. His eyebrows knitted together and his head tilted to the side curiously. “I’m sure you more than anyone can understand that.”

Jacob felt his cheeks flush and his eyes lowered. He kept his mouth shut.

Cassandra wasn’t as quickly deterred. “But you won’t kill Mr. Dulaque…will you?”

Jenkins softened at that and shook his head. “Of course not. I mean only to weaken him and then he will join me in my journey to the Loom as well. We’ll send him away where he can’t bother anybody else.” He took a pause before clearing his throat to say, “I assume we have some way of getting the crown?”

Five pairs of eyes landed on Jacob, and he could feel them burning into his skin. He looked up and nodded. “Uh, yeah. Eve, you have Moriarty’s number, right? We can text him tonight, get the crown tomorrow, and on Friday, well, I guess it’s gameday.”

Ezekiel clapped his hands together once, grinning a little. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

“This is insane,” Eve muttered, shaking her head. Cassandra, biting her lip again, nodded in agreement.

“We’ll be fine,” Flynn reassured them. He smiled brightly. “We’ve got knowledge on our side.”

“You do realize Dulaque’s, like, forty years older than us and probably has way more wisdom and experience than all of us combined, right?” Jacob asked him.

Flynn shrugged and patted Excalibur. “Yeah, but we’ve got a magic sword.”

Jacob gave him a reluctant smirk. “Well, you’ve got me there.

~~~

When Jacob got home, the apartment was eerily quiet. It spooked him because he’d been expecting his dad or even mom to be in the living room, waiting for him with their arms crossed with stern expressions on their faces. What scared him even more was that Nathan, his one constant reassurance, was nowhere to be seen either.

Jacob quietly shut the door behind him and hung his keys - freshly made after he’d lost them a while back - on the hook next to the door. Both his parents’ car keys were hung up along with Nathan’s apartment keys, so Jacob knew they must be home. He shrugged off his jacket and kicked off his boots before putting them away neatly in the closet next to the door.

He flinched when he heard footsteps stumbling down the hallway. As his dad entered the room and the stench of alcohol followed him, Jacob quickly realized why his family wasn’t around to greet him. Nathan always had the habit of locking himself in his room when their dad got like this, and his mom locked herself in the bathroom until morning.

“There you are you little shit,” his father’s voice slurred. Jacob heard the clatter of a beer bottle being tossed into a trash can full of even more beer bottles. He turned slowly and found his dad watching him, leant against the fridge to help him keep his balance. “I thought you’d never show up.”

“Uh, sorry, sir,” Jacob mumbled. Like an idiot, he’d forgotten all about his curfew and stayed late at the Library with his friends and Jenkins, coming up with plans and texting Moriarty to make sure he was with them. When Flynn’s grandparents had called to asked where he was, Jacob knew he’d messed up big time. “The time got away from me.”

His dad laughed at that, but it was a bitter sound completely void of any joy. He was shaking his head slowly. “Oh, did it now? ‘M sorry to hear that.”

Jacob kept his head ducked down as he walked further into the apartment, making a direct line towards the hall his and Nathan’s bedroom laid down. “I’m, uh, I’m gonna go to bed.”

“Not so fast,” his father snapped, reaching out a hand to grip Jacob’s bicep. It curled tightly, fingers shaking with the effort. Jacob held back a noise of pain and stood still. His father dragged him around so Jacob was standing in front of him.

Isaac Stone could not be described as an imposing man. He wasn’t big and buff but instead more on the lithe side with some muscles from working on an oil rig his entire life. In his old age, he’d grown smaller, and in his few years of strictly office-business, he’d grown weaker than he’d been as a boy. But, despite this, he still scared the shit out of Jacob. The way his face contorted into a scowl at a moment’s notice, the way he could clear an entire apartment by just cracking open one beer, and the way his hot, rank breath curled around Jacob’s face and it was all he could feel sent Jacob’s heart pounding swifter than any principal with a world domination plan ever could.

“Do you know how worried your mother was?” Isaac asked, voice growing gruffer and fingers digging harder with each word. “And your brother? The son of a bitch even offered to go wandering through this godforsaken city just to look for your stupid ass. Wanna know what I told him?”

“W-What?” Jacob stammered in a whisper.

The fingers dug in. “I told him I hope that dumb bastard never comes back.”

Jacob tried to pull away, but it was useless. “L-Look, I’m sorry. I’ll just go to bed; I’ll just leave you alone for the rest of the night.”

“You should’ve gotten lost in this damn city,” his father growled before he held Jacob away, grip still tight. Jacob saw his father’s other hand raising swiftly and quickly closed his eyes, body tensing all over in anticipation of a blow he knew all too familiarly.

Except, it never came. Instead a loud banging sound rang throughout the apartment.

Jacob’s eyes flew open, and he used his father’s surprise to his advantage and slipped out of his loosened grasp. He stumbled away from Isaac and ran for the door.

That’s when he realized that the door was already open and someone was standing in it.

Jacob had seen Jenkins annoyed before. He’d seen the man disappointed, overworked, and, on rare occasions, he’d seen him genuinely happy before. He’d never seen Jenkins this angry. His face was drawn taut with fury; he was absolutely livid. He reached out, grabbed Jacob gently by the shoulder, and guided him behind his back. All the while, the sword extended in his other hand didn’t waver.

“What the _hell_?!” Isaac demanded, stumbled from the fridge and over to Jenkins. He stopped when he realized that Jenkins had no intention of lowering the sword anytime soon. “Who the hell are you?!”

“A concerned citizen,” Jenkins practically spat. He looked like he was about to say more, but he cut himself off when Nathan came sprinting down the hall. He was in his boxers and a sleepshirt and looked half-dead, but when he saw his brother standing behind a guy with a sword, he quickly woke up. He looked between his father and the man in front of his brother and seemed to practically deflate with relief.

“You okay, Jake?” Nathan asked. He stepped up, grabbed his father by the shoulder, and gently pushed him back so he could stand in between him and Jenkins.

Jacob nodded slowly. “I, uh, yeah, I’m fine. This is Jenkins…my boss.”

Nathan nodded curtly. “Nice to meet you, sir. I hope my father didn’t cause you any trouble.”

Slowly, Jenkins lowered his sword. “He’s not staying here.”

Nathan nodded again. “Good. You can keep him safe?”

“Safer than here,” Jenkins promised.

“Fine,” Nathan said. He pointed a thumb behind him to Isaac. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he doesn’t follow you.”

Jenkins bowed his head to him a tiny bit. “It is appreciated.” He turned to Jacob and said, “The Annex has spare rooms if you’re interested.”

Jacob glanced to his brother who only nodded and then back to Jenkins. “I don’t want to impose or anything-.” Jenkins’s unimpressed look made him bite his tongue. He lowered his head. “I’m not a charity case. I can take care of myself. I’m not some broken kid who comes from a broken home with-.”

“I know,” Jenkins interrupted, and Jacob glanced back up at him. “You’re a smart young boy who is needed and cared for. Unfortunately, neither of those words are applicable here. I’m offering you a place that they are.”

Jacob let out a long, heavy breath. “F-Fine. But we keep it between us.”

“As I said earlier, Mr. Stone, our secrets are ours alone,” Jenkins said. “I will not deprive you of the right to share or keep yours. Now, are you ready to leave now or do you need anything?”

“Lemme pack a bag,” Jacob said. He glanced to his father who was still standing behind Nathan. His face was slack, his eyes unfocused; he would think this as some drunken dream in the morning. Although, to be fair, it usually wasn’t considered normal to have a sword-wielding, middle-aged man take your son away from you like a faux social service worker. Jacob disappeared down the hall.

“You better keep him safe,” Nathan said, voice hard. Jenkins glanced at him, mildly surprised.  “I wasn’t able to, not from him; I’m a coward. But I’ll be damned if I let that happen again.”

Jenkins nodded slowly. “Noted, Mr. Stone.”

Nathan nodded curtly back, resting a hand on his father’s back to lead him into the hall. He glanced back over his shoulder at Jenkins and gave him a weak grin. “Cool sword by the way.”

Jenkins found himself startled into a smile; maybe Jacob Stone hadn’t been as isolated as he’d suspected.

When Jacob wandered back into the living room, he frowned at Jenkins. “Why’d you follow me home?”

Jenkins shrugged, walking into the hall without waiting to see if Jacob would follow. “I had a bad feeling.”

“Well…thanks, I guess,” Jacob mumbled, shutting the door behind him. “You probably could’ve done all that without the sword though.”

Jenkins smirked. “Yes, well, I’ve always had an affinity for the dramatics.” 

Jacob laughed at that; it was a tiny, short kind of laugh but it was something. “Why does that not surprise me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I could use all 4973 characters I have left in order to come up with excuses as to why this is only coming out now, but I'm sure anybody who reads these end notes is absolutely sick of my excuses XD Let's just say, you can have as much motivation to write as you want, but a broken computer kind of puts a roadblock to that.
> 
> Anyways, this story is drawing to an end. Jacob is finally safe and away from his horrible home, Moriarty is getting the redemption arc he deserves, and the Library is preparing for the last hurrah! I imagine there isn't much of this story left, so please just stick with me as I try to get it out before the summer ends :P
> 
> As always, thanks for the constant support. I cannot explain in words how much it means to me <3


	14. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle for the Loom of Fate begins as everything else draws to an end.

Friday rolled around much faster than any of them anticipated. Moriarty got a hold of the crown and gave it to Jacob, wishing him and the rest of the group good luck. They met in the Annex early Friday morning. Ezekiel was sitting on top of the center table, the crown sat crookedly on his head, and Flynn stood next to him with Excalibur hovering by his shoulder.

“So,” Eve said, arms crossed over her chest, “how do we do this?

“I’m not sure,” Flynn admitted. He shrugged. “Maybe we just…ask Excalibur to open up a portal for us?”

“I have a feeling it’s a bit more complicated than that,” Cassandra said, chewing on her lip.

“Actually,” Jenkins said as he walked into the room, “Mr. Carsen isn’t too far off.” He held out his hand and whistled. Excalibur flew into his hand, and Jenkins swiped the crown off of Ezekiel’s head. He walked up to the broom closet in the back of the room. “Mr. Stone, roll that globe over here won’t you?”

Jacob jumped up from where he’d been leaning against a desk and rolled over the globe that had been sitting next to him. Once it was next to Jenkins, he reached out and spun it. The teenagers watched as he rested the tip of the sword on top of the spinning globe and then all jumped back, startled, when the broom closet swung open to reveal a bright, white light.

“Is that the portal?” Cassandra asked in a hushed awe.

Jenkins nodded, opening his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a loud alarm ringing throughout the Library. He frowned, and Eve quickly asked, “What is that?”

“We don’t have much time,” Jenkins said, voice serious. He shoved the crown and sword into Jacob’s arms and said, “Go, quickly. Once you get there, hide the crown. We can’t be certain that Dulaque won’t get through, and if he gets his hands on both artifacts, there’s no telling what he could do.”

Cassandra jumped through first. Ezekiel grabbed the crown from Jenkins and followed her quickly. Eve followed them after giving a short nod to Jenkins. Flynn took the sword from Jenkins, shook his hand, and followed her. Jacob stepped up to the portal and then stopped, turning towards Jenkins, “Good luck. Also, if you see a tall teenager with dark hair and an annoying personality, that’s Mor-, uh, James. He’ll help you; I’m sure of it.”

“Noted,” Jenkins said, nodding curtly. He rested a careful hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Be careful, Mr. Stone. And, don’t forget: we fight with our minds and words, not our fists.”

Jacob snorted. “You sound like my mom.”

He gave Jenkins a grin and jumped through into the bright light of the portal.

Jacob stumbled, blinking against the harsh sunlight that hit his face. Around him was an open, rocky clearing. Off to the side was a creek with a bridge curving over it. The clearing was surrounded by a grove of green trees. The air was warm, and Jacob quickly tugged off his Carhartt jacket. He walked over to his friends.

They were hovered around the Loom of Fate. It looked ancient and important to Jacob. It was strung up by colorful twine that seemed to be shimmering with magic. Ezekiel and Cassandra were the closest to it, bent over it with their fingers sticking out.

“ _Don’t_ touch it, guys, c’mon,” Eve snapped. The two jumped back with guilty grins on their faces, and Eve rolled her eyes at them.

“It is cool, though,” Flynn said, voice filled with awe. He stepped up to it and studied it without touching it. Excalibur twitched in his hands, making a sound that reminded Jacob of a dog sniffing its food.

“Have you guys hidden the crown yet?” Jacob asked.

“Not yet,” Ezekiel said, shaking his head. He nudged Cassandra. “C’mon, Cassie, I think I see a good place over here.”

As the two wandered off, Jacob stepped up to the Loom. He was itching to reach out and touch it too, but he was pretty sure Eve would use Excalibur to cut off his fingers if he even tried, so he opted to just stare at it. “Do you think _our_ lives are on this thing?”

Flynn shrugged, nodding. “I mean, they gotta be, right? Our fates right here…on a piece of string.”

“Why would Dulaque even _want_ to mess with it?” Eve asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I mean, one wrong snip, and it’s game over, y’know?”

“Maybe he has something waiting for him in a different path,” Jacob suggested.

“Yeah, something like that.”

The three turned around, startled, and found Lamia, Peter, and Moriarty. Peter had his knobby stick in his hands, pointing it at them threateningly. Jacob, Eve, and Flynn spread out protectively in front of the Loom as Peter shouted, “Step away!”

Eve snorted. “Yeah, right, like we’re going to listen to _you_.”

“You should,” Lamia said, voice sharp. Her lips were drawn up in a tiny snarl. “Dulaque is right behind us, and when he gets here, you’re going to really regret ever trying to fight him.”

“We may not know his plan,” Flynn said, stepping up with Excalibur pointed towards them. It might’ve been cool if his hands hadn’t been shaking so hard. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to let him go through with it. This isn’t something anybody should be tampering with; fate is set for a reason.”

Lamia frowned. “That’s not why he’s doing this. He’s doing it to-.”

“Lamia!” Peter interrupted her, stamping his foot on the ground. “Some _discretion_ please.”

“Oh, they’re gonna be gone in a few minutes anyway,” Lamia said, shrugging.

“Actually, they’re not,” Moriarty said. He lifted his hands above their heads and dropped a powdery dust over them. The two looked up, shocked, as the dust drifted down on them. They frowned and met eyes before they collapsed to the ground in a snoring heap.

Flynn lowered Excalibur. “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

Moriarty grinned at them. “Your caretaker, Mr. Jenkins, gave me this dust before Peter and Lamia ‘snuck’ past him to your magical door. He said it’d take care of the problem.”

“Are they okay?” Jacob asked with a frown.

Eve walked over to them and bent down, checking their pulses. She looked back up and shrugged. “Yep, just sleeping.”

“What was Lamia saying about Dulaque before Prospero interrupted her?” Flynn asked. He let Excalibur hover in the air next to him so he could cross his arms over his chest and stare doubtfully at Moriarty.

Moriarty shook his head reluctantly. “I’m afraid I don’t know. That was knowledge entrusted only in Lamia and Peter; I, unfortunately, was seen only as the brute of the team. Therefore, they didn’t see the need to inform me of Dulaque’s endgame.”

“And why don’t I believe you?” Flynn questioned, eyebrows knitting together.

“Because you hate James,” Jacob said bluntly. He elbowed Flynn a bit as he passed him to step up to Moriarty, giving him a grin. “Thanks for the save, man, but you should get yourself and these two outta here. If Dulaque really _is_ on his way, I’m sure seeing his niece unconscious would piss him off big time.”

Moriarty nodded curtly. “Right.” He bent down and, with Jacob and Eve’s help, scooped up Lamia and Peter into his arms. Lucky for him that they were both so small and petite. He grinned at Jacob. “Thank you, Jacob.”

“For what?” Jacob asked.

Moriarty sobered and dipped his head to him. “For giving me a second chance.” He glanced at Flynn and Eve. “All of you, however reluctant it was.”

Eve placed a hand on Moriarty’s shoulder and smiled. “Glad to have you a part of the team, James. Now go, quickly.”

He nodded again and disappeared into the woods. As he was leaving, Ezekiel and Cassandra returned, crossing over the bridge. Ezekiel smirked. “Crown hidden. We are _so_ good at this, guys.”

Jacob snorted. “You guys literally missed all of the action.”

Cassandra’s eyes widened. “Dulaque showed up?”

“Well, some of the action,” Flynn amended. He, Jacob, and Eve explained Peter and Lamia’s sudden appearance, and Moriarty’s rescue. The two were equally surprised and impressed.

“Now what?” Ezekiel asked a few minutes later. He was sitting on the wooden railing of the dock, feet swinging erratically.

Cassandra, who was crouched next to the creek, looked up and nodded. “Yeah, didn’t you say Lamia said that Dulaque was on his way? Shouldn’t he, like, be here?”

“Maybe Jenkins stopped him,” Jacob suggested with a shrug.

Ezekiel rolled his eyes with a smirk. “Let’s not get too optimistic, alright, mate?”

“No,” Flynn protested, shaking his head, “I’m with Jacob. I think Jenkins-.”

He was cut off by Dulaque’s sudden appearance. He stepped onto the rocky creek bed with a sword in his hands as the teenagers scrambled around him to stand in front of the Loom. Flynn, at the point of their tiny triangle, had Excalibur pointed towards Dulaque; this time his hands didn’t shake.

Dulaque stopped, seemingly a little startled, and then a slow, thin smile grew across his face. In a sneering tone, he said, “Ah, the Librarians. It appears I can never escape you group of meddling teenagers.”

At his side, Jacob heard Ezekiel mutter, “All we need now is a van and a talking dog.”

Jacob elbowed him in the stomach.

“What are you planning to do with the Loom?” Eve demanded.

Dulaque _tsk_ ed, shaking his head. “Always so impatient, Colonel Baird, or Ms. Baird, I suppose is the more appropriate title.”

“Colonel?” Eve questioned. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

Dulaque huffed and ran a hand over his face in frustration. “Again, _impatient_.” He began to pace in front of them, fingers lacing behind his back. “You see _children_ , this is not the first time I’ve visited the Loom. Well, not this particular one, but one like it. You see, there are many different Looms of Fate. Each one controls a different, well, dimension would be the best word for it, I suppose.”

“What are you talking about?” Cassandra asked, sounding equally mad as she did excited. “What do you mean ‘dimensions’?”

“You foolish girl,” Dulaque scoffed. “Are you really _naive_ enough to believe that your world is the only one that exists? That you are the only Cassandra Cillian to exist?”

The others looked at each other with shocked expressions, but Dulaque wasn’t done speaking. “I was once bested in front of a Loom. I was defeated, and as punishment I was sent to another dimension. It was one that instead of being a knight, I was a school principal. Can you imagine how demeaning that is? Ever since, I’ve been working on returning. I thought I needed to restore the ley lines to return there, but you have proved that all one needs are a sword and the crown. Once I get rid of you, I can return to my dimension. There the Librarians are much older than you.” He paused, his grin slowly returning. “And far more competent!”

He took a sudden leap at the five teens, his sword swinging, but Flynn instantly jumped forward, deflecting the blow. Dulaque growled and swung again, and Flynn did his best to block it again with a clattering of metal.

“Flynn!” Cassandra shouted, worried, as Dulaque continued his relentless swinging.

Dulaque, laughing, kept pushing forward, forcing Flynn to stumble back closer and closer to the Loom. Flynn was quickly running out of breath and losing his strength, but Dulaque, despite his age, only appeared to be getting surer in his swings. “You know, Mr. Carsen, there are perhaps versions of you that could defeat me, but this one is _definitely_ not one of them."

Jacob shared a look with Eve, and she nodded swiftly. Carefully, the two stepped away from the Loom, preparing to get on either side of Dulaque and take him to the ground.

“There is only one man in this universe who could best me, and he is not around to do so,” Dulaque snarled. He raised his sword high for a final blow, but as he brought it down, his blade was intercepted by another.

Jenkins was smirking. “Oh, is he not?”

Jenkins, with a sword and ball of twine in his hands, threw Dulaque’s sword into the creek with a delicate flick of his wrist. His sword rose and rested against Dulaque’s throat.

Dulaque, with wide eyes, began to plead, “Galahad, Galahad you don’t understand, I was-.”

“Galahad?” Jenkins interrupted with a frown. “I’m afraid I don’t know that name.”

Dulaque sucked in a sharp breath. “You are different in this world; you do not share the same life as Galahad.”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Jenkins said, although he didn’t sound all too apologetic. 

“Then who are you?” Dulaque asked, voice low, and, if Jacob wasn’t mistaken, he sounded scared.

“I am the Librarian,” Jenkins declared. “And you have a lot of explaining to do.”

Dropping the ball of twine, he snapped his fingers and a door appeared behind Dulaque. It opened to reveal a cement-walled room. Jenkins forced him into it, closing the door quickly behind him. He looked over his shoulder and grinned to the kids as the door disappeared once again. “The Library is helpful when it wants to be.”

“So,” Flynn said, “that’s it?”

“ _That’s it_?” Ezekiel repeated incredulously. He walked over and slapped Flynn heartily on the back. “Dude, you just sword fought with an adult…and won!”

Flynn smiled shyly at that. “Yeah, I guess…I guess I did, huh?”

“Plus, we stopped Peter and Lamia!” Cassandra pointed out with a happy hop.

“Oh, right,” Eve said. “We better go find James and tell him the coast is clear.”

“Take Excalibur with you,” Jenkins recommended. “He’s an excellent tracker sword.”

Flynn grinned and nodded, running off into the woods. “Come on boy! Found Moriarty. Good job, Cal!”  
Eve rolled her eyes to herself before racing after him.

Ezekiel nudged Cassandra. “We better go grab that crown.”

Cassandra nodded. “Right.” She grinned at Jacob. “We’ll be right back, okay?”

Jacob nodded and watched as they ran off. He turned to Jenkins, but he was already standing in front of the Loom. The ball of twine rested in the palm of his hand again. Jacob stepped up next to him, looking at the shimmering threads of string. “Wanna tell me those secrets we talked about?”

“Dulaque is a dangerous man, Mr. Stone,” Jenkins admitted in a quiet voice, “and the Library is a dangerous place. Getting kids involved was…a mistake.”

Jacob reeled away from him, staring at him with wide eyes. “Wait, what do you mean? What’re you saying?”

“You could’ve been hurt,” Jenkins said. His voice was still quiet and his eyes were downcast. “All of you could’ve been _killed_. I’ve realized now how big of an error that I’ve made.”

“So…what’re you gonna do?” Jacob asked, voice equally as quiet.

Jenkins sighed. He rested the ball of twine on the needle of the Loom. “I’m going to make things right.” He glanced at Jacob and gave him a small, sad smile. “It was an honor to know you, Mr. Stone.”

“Jenkins, wait,” Jacob said quickly. “Y-You can’t do this, man. Life was just getting better for me. You can’t just undo everything that I did to make it that way. You can’t take it away from me.”

Jenkins shook his head with a gentle smile. “I’m not. I’m going to make things right.”

He lifted his sword but before he could do anything, Jacob wrapped his arms around Jenkins in a tight hug. Slowly, he felt Jenkins’s arms wrap back around him. When Jacob pulled away, he muttered, “Thanks…for all of this.”

“It’s not going away forever, Jacob,” Jenkins said. “The Library wouldn’t have let you in had it not seen the potential in all of you. I know that in due time it will invite you back…in the proper way. Until then I want you all to live your lives. I don’t want you to have to worry about magic and villains; I want you to worry about dating and homework. So, until then, just enjoy life, Jacob Stone. This world is not done with you yet.” Jenkins smirked. “I have a whole half of the Library to show you.”

He lifted his sword, tore through the Loom, and Jacob’s entire world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! This isn't quite the final chapter of this story! I decided to update twice today so keep reading for the very, very end.


	15. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world begins anew.

Jacob Stone sat in the passenger side of his mom’s pickup truck. Outside, the large buildings of New York City loomed above him. He didn’t notice his mom glance at him and try to give him a smile. “Never get used to those things, huh sweetheart? After Oklahoma, this place seems too tall, huh Jake?”

Jacob turned to his mom and gave her a grin. “Yeah, they’re pretty cool.”

His mom smiled, and they rode in a comfortable silence for a few moments. She broke it by saying, in a low voice, “Now, Jake, honey, if any of the other kids find out about your father and say anything-.”

“I know, Ma,” Jacob reassured her. “Fight with my words, not my fists. I got it.”

Jacob knew it was going to be hard being the kid of a convicted felon, but he rationed that it was better than living with his father still. He’d been arrested a year ago, and Jacob hadn’t heard word from him since. His mom had taken over his dad’s oil business, and it had been running smoothly ever since. Nathan, Jacob’s older brother, was in college at the moment, but when he was done, he’d take over the business in their mother’s stead.

Eventually, the pickup truck pulled into the parking lot of Jacob’s new school. He couldn’t help gaping as he stared at the beautiful building. Kids swarmed the front, all laughing and smiling, and Jacob suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed. He glanced at his mom when she cleared her throat and smiled reassuringly at him. “I’ll walk you to the principal’s office, okay?”

Jacob nodded and slid out of the car. As he and his mom walked up to the building, he couldn’t help looking around at the kids that stood in the parking lot.

A few yards away, two boys stood in front of a minivan. They were both tall but one had spikey, messy hair on his head. The other was a bit more put together, and Jacob couldn’t help but noticed the fancy, wingtipped shoes on his feet. The spikey-haired one was elbowing the other, poking fun at him. Two older people who Jacob suspected were their grandparents were trying to corral the two with identical, adoring smiles on their faces.

A little further away from the two another boy was getting out of his car. As he tried stepping away, his dad, who was wearing an expensive-looking suit, pulled him back into a hug and kissed him on the forehead. The boy squawked loudly, trying to pull away from his dad, but he had a little, reluctant grin on his face. When he got away from his dad, he raced over to a blonde girl who immediately pulled him into a side hug and tried kissing his forehead too. Jacob could hear their laughter all the way from where they were standing.

As Jacob and his mom were walking up the stairs, they nearly tripped over two girls who were sitting on the steps. One was fair-skinned with red hair, and the other had tanner skin and big, brown eyes. They grinned up at Jacob and his mom apologetically and scooted closer to the railing of the stairs. Jacob noticed with a tiny grin that they were holding hands, and when he stepped away, they bent their heads together and giggled happily.

Jacob raced forward to catch up with his mom as they walked through the halls. Eventually, they came across a windowed office and stepped through. The secretary looked up at their entrance and gave them a beaming smile. “Well, hello there!”

Her voice was heavily accented, and she was wearing a weird mix of clothes, but Jacob quickly decided that he liked her. She continued with, “I’m Ms. Faire, but you can just call me Ariel. Do you have a meeting?”

Jacob’s mom nodded and stepped up, saying, “Yep. We’re enrollin’ Jacob Stone today.”

Ariel nodded swiftly and turned to her computer. She laughed and turned back to them. “Yep, there he is! Nice to meet you, Jacob Stone. Why don’t you go in real quick and introduce yourself while I have your mom sign in?”

“Okay, sure,” Jacob said, nodding. He smiled gratefully to Ariel and stepped past his mom. He walked over to an open doorway and stepped in. He looked around, unsure when he didn’t see anybody immediately.

The office was beautiful. Two open windows bathed the room in light. The wall was covered in bookshelves that were filled with books that looked like they’d all been read through thoroughly. Jacob stepped up to one of the shelves, his fingertips brushing over the spines of the books.

“Can I help you, young man?”

Jacob spun around on his toes to find a man standing over him. “Uh, yeah, I was just…looking for the principal?”

The man in front of him was aged. He had wrinkles on his face, and white hair on his head. His lips were pulled down into a frown and one of his eyebrows was raised suspiciously, but at Jacob’s words he grinned warmly. He held out a hand. “That would be me. I’m Principal Jenkins; it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr…?”

“Stone,” Jacob quickly told him, shaking his hand. “Jacob Stone, sir.”

Jenkins nodded. “Well, Mr. Stone, welcome to New York’s School for Gifted Children.” He smiled. “I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, prepare yourselves for a pretty long end note.
> 
> Firstly, I want to say thank you to anybody who has left a comment, left a kudo, or just plain clicked on this story to read it. I appreciate all the support this story has gotten and cannot thank you all enough. Special shout out to my group of loyal commenters - you guys are literally my heroes and this story wouldn't have been finished without you. 
> 
> Secondly, I am very happy to be done with this story. Not because I hate it or it was grueling to write, but the complete opposite. I started writing this story somewhere when the final episode of the very first season was coming out, so it's turned kind of into my baby XD I'm just so happy to be able to write it and have people read and enjoy it. I love this story above almost all of my others, and I'm so grateful that there were people who were still willing to read it despite a lot of inconsistency (that, yes, I did notice but haven't bothered fixing yet), a very wonky schedule, and lots of life getting in the way. 
> 
> Thanks so much, I love you all bunches <3
> 
> And, as always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed ;)


End file.
